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RULE §711.16 Continuing Education Requirements


Published: 2015

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(a) The continuing education requirements are intended to maintain and improve the quality of services provided to the public by licensed dietitians and provisional licensed dietitians. Continuing education credit includes programs beyond the basic preparation which are designed to promote and enrich knowledge, improve skills, and develop attitudes for the enhancement of licensed dietitians and provisionally licensed dietitians, thus improving nutrition care to the public. (b) A licensee shall complete a minimum of 12 continuing education hours during each two-year licensing period.   (1) The hours must have been completed prior to the date of expiration of the license.   (2) The hours must be offered or approved by the Commission on Dietetic Registration or its agents or a regionally accredited college or university. (c) The licensee shall be responsible for maintaining a record of his or her continuing education experiences. The certificates, diplomas, or other documentation verifying earning of continuing education hours are not to be forwarded to the board at the time of renewal unless the licensee has been selected for audit by the board. (d) The audit process shall be as follows.   (1) The board shall select for audit a random sample of licensees for each renewal month. Audit forms shall be sent to the selected licensees at the time the renewal notice is mailed.   (2) All licensees selected for audit will furnish documentation such as official transcripts, certificates, diplomas, agendas, programs, or an affidavit identifying the continuing education experience satisfactory to the board, to verify proof of having earned the continuing education hours. The documentation must be provided at the time the renewal form is returned to the board.   (3) Failure to timely furnish this information or knowingly providing false information during the audit process or the renewal process are grounds for disciplinary action against the licensee. (e) Failure to complete the required continuing education.   (1) A person who fails to complete continuing education requirements for renewal holds an expired license and may not use the titles "licensed dietitian" or "provisional licensed dietitian".   (2) A person may renew late under §711.15(c) of this title (relating to License Renewal) after all the continuing education requirements have been met. (f) Continuing education undertaken by a licensee for renewal shall be acceptable if the experience falls in one or more of the following categories:   (1) academic courses related to dietetics;   (2) clinical courses related to dietetics;   (3) in-service educational programs, training programs, institutes, seminars, workshops and conferences in dietetics;   (4) instructing or presenting continuing education programs or activities that were offered or approved by the Commission on Dietetic Registration or its agents. Multiple presentations of the same programs only count once;   (5) acceptance and participation in poster sessions offered by a nationally recognized professional organization in the dietetics field or its state equivalent organization. Participation will be credited one hour for six poster sessions with a maximum of two clock hours for 12 poster sessions;   (6) books or articles published by the licensee in relevant professional books and referred journals. A minimum of three continuing education hours will be credited for the publication; or   (7) self-study of professional materials that include self-assessment examinations. Six hours maximum will be credited for self-study during the two-year licensure period. (g) Activities unacceptable as continuing education for which the board may not grant continuing education credit are:   (1) education incidental to the regular professional activities of a licensee such as learning occurring from experience or research;   (2) professional organization activity such as serving on committees or councils or as an officer;   (3) any continuing education activity completed before or after the period of time described in subsection (b)(1) of this section;   (4) activities described in subsection (f) of this section which have been completed more than once during the continuing education period;   (5) performance of duties that are routine job duties or requirements; or   (6) participation in conference exhibits. (h) Continuing education experiences shall be credited as follows.   (1) Completion of course work at or through an accredited college or university shall be credited for each semester hour on the basis of two clock hours of credit for each semester hour successfully completed for credit or audit.   (2) An activity which meets the criteria of subsection (f)(2) or (3) of this section shall be credited on a one-for-one basis with CPE as approved by the American Dietetics Association. (i) The Texas Jurisprudence Exam shall be required as follows.   (1) The licensee must successfully complete the Texas Jurisprudence Exam for renewal.   (2) Proof of successfully completing the exam must be retained by the licensee as required in subsection (c) of this section.   (3) One hour of continuing education credit will be granted for successful completion of the Texas Jurisprudence Exam.

Source Note: The provisions of this §711.16 adopted to be effective August 19, 2009, 34 TexReg 5536