The Florida Senate

455.597  Requirement for instruction on domestic violence.--

(1)

(a)  The appropriate board shall require each person licensed or certified under chapter 458, chapter 459, chapter 464, chapter 466, chapter 467, chapter 490, or chapter 491 to complete a 1-hour continuing education course, approved by the board, on domestic violence, as defined in s. 741.28, as part of biennial relicensure or recertification. The course shall consist of information on the number of patients in that professional's practice who are likely to be victims of domestic violence and the number who are likely to be perpetrators of domestic violence, screening procedures for determining whether a patient has any history of being either a victim or a perpetrator of domestic violence, and instruction on how to provide such patients with information on, or how to refer such patients to, resources in the local community, such as domestic violence centers and other advocacy groups, that provide legal aid, shelter, victim counseling, batterer counseling, or child protection services.

(b)  Each such licensee or certificateholder shall submit confirmation of having completed such course, on a form provided by the board, when submitting fees for each biennial renewal.

(c)  The board may approve additional equivalent courses that may be used to satisfy the requirements of paragraph (a). Each licensing board that requires a licensee to complete an educational course pursuant to this subsection may include the hour required for completion of the course in the total hours of continuing education required by law for such profession unless the continuing education requirements for such profession consist of fewer than 30 hours biennially.

(d)  Any person holding two or more licenses subject to the provisions of this subsection shall be permitted to show proof of having taken one board-approved course on domestic violence, for purposes of relicensure or recertification for additional licenses.

(e)  Failure to comply with the requirements of this subsection shall constitute grounds for disciplinary action under each respective practice act and under s. 455.624(1)(k). In addition to discipline by the board, the licensee shall be required to complete such course.

(2)  The board shall also require, as a condition of granting a license under any chapter specified in paragraph (1)(a), that each applicant for initial licensure under the appropriate chapter complete an educational course acceptable to the board on domestic violence which is substantially equivalent to the course required in subsection (1). An applicant who has not taken such course at the time of licensure shall, upon submission of an affidavit showing good cause, be allowed 6 months to complete such requirement.

(3)  Each board may adopt rules to carry out the provisions of this section.

(4)  Each board shall report to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the chairs of the appropriate substantive committees of the Legislature by March 1 of each year as to the implementation of and compliance with the requirements of this section.

History.--s. 4, ch. 95-187; s. 61, ch. 97-261.

Note.--Former s. 455.222.