The Florida Senate

497.147  Continuing education; general provisions.--

(1)  As to any licensure under this chapter that requires prelicensure training or continuing education for renewal of a license, no such training or continuing education shall be accepted in satisfaction of the requirements of this chapter, unless approved by the board.

(2)  There shall be adopted rules by the board to establish the criteria for such training or continuing education courses.

(3)  The licensing authority may provide by rule that distance learning may be used to satisfy continuing education requirements and may specify conditions applicable to such distance learning for credit under this chapter.

(4)  The licensing authority is authorized to adopt rules to implement requirements regarding prelicensure training and continuing education requirements under this chapter. Persons providing prelicensure training or continuing education for credit against the requirements of this chapter are hereinafter referred to as "providers."

(a)  The rules may establish criteria for obtaining approval from the licensing authority as a provider, and for periodic renewal of such approval, and may establish procedures and forms for use in applying to obtain and renew such approval from the licensing authority.

(b)  The rules may establish conditions and requirements applicable to providers, including, but not limited to:

1.  Periodic submission by the provider to the licensing authority of information and documentation as to course materials, class locations and schedules, names of scheduled instructors, resumes of instructors, and descriptions of facilities.

2.  Requirements for periodic reporting by the provider to the licensing authority of information concerning enrollment, attendance, and status of persons enrolled for credit under this chapter.

3.  Requirements for inspection by the licensing authority of records of the provider related to training or continuing education of applicants and licensees under this chapter.

4.  Requirements for announced or unannounced attendance by department staff or board members at scheduled classes or training, for the purpose of ensuring that the training meets the requirements of this chapter and rules adopted under this chapter.

5.  Requirements regarding retention of records by the provider regarding training or continuing education for which credit has been given to any licensee under this chapter.

6.  Procedures and criteria for terminating the status of any provider as an approved source of training or continuing education for credit under this chapter.

7.  Requirements for fees to accompany applications from providers for approval or renewal of approval as a provider, not to exceed $250 per year. The rules may exempt nonprofit entities from such fees.

(c)  The rules may list all approved providers and identify the training or continuing education each provider is approved to provide for credit under this chapter.

(d)  Such rules may establish procedures and forms for use by applicants, licensees, and providers in reporting completed training and continuing education to the licensing authority.

(5)  The board may by rule provide up to 5 hours of continuing education credit per continuing education reporting period for licensees attending board meetings or selected types or portions of board meetings, as specified by such rules. The rules may limit the number of times such credit may be utilized by a licensee. The rules may include provisions as to the minimum amount of time that must be spent in the board meeting room viewing proceedings, which may be more than 5 hours of attendance, requirements for advance notice by licensees to department staff of proposed attendance, requirements to sign in and out of the meeting room on lists maintained at the meeting site by department staff, forms that must be completed by the licensee to obtain such credit, and such other requirements deemed by the board to be advisable or necessary to prevent abuse of such rules and to ensure that useful information is obtained by licensees as a result of attendance. Procedural requirements of such rules requiring action by the department shall be subject to approval by the department prior to promulgation.

History.--s. 17, ch. 2004-301; s. 10, ch. 2005-155.