Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 120-2-3-.15 - Resident Continuing Education Requirements

(1) Each resident licensee licensed for less than 20 years must complete a minimum of twenty four (24) continuing education hours, three (3) of which must be completed in Ethics, by the dates specified in Rule 120-2-3-.16. For resident licensees continually licensed for 20 years or longer, a minimum of twenty (20) continuing education hours, three (3) of which must be completed in Ethics, by the dates specified in Rule 120-2-3-.16. The continuing education hours may be completed at any time during the current biennial license period as long as the hours are completed prior to the license expiration date.

(2) Continuing education hours may be completed in any subject area for which he or she is licensed, provided licensees complete a minimum of three (3) hours of their continuing education requirement in the subject area of Ethics biennially. The Ethics requirement may be satisfied by completing courses in the subject area of Ethical practices, Legislative updates or Federal or Departmental Regulatory changes in insurance, current issues and other such topics that the Commissioner may at his or her discretion approve.

(a) Credit Insurance Exception. For any person holding a multiple line license where one of the lines is Credit insurance, no more than five (5) hours may be applied for Credit insurance self-study. The remainder of the continuing education requirement must come from the other lines of insurance. If licensed for credit insurance only, the Ethics course requirement does not apply.

(b) Limited Subagent Exception. For any person holding multiple license types, where one of the licenses is for a Limited Subagent, no more than five (5) hours of continuing education credit may be applied for the subject area that coincides with the Limited Subagent license. The remainder of the continuing education requirement must come from the lines of insurance held under the agent, adjuster or counselor license. If licensed only as a Limited Subagent, the Ethics course requirement does not apply.

(c) Workers' Compensation Adjuster Exception. Licensee may either complete 10 hours of approved continuing education courses through the State Workers' Compensation Board; or complete the normal continuing education requirement specifically in the lines of property and casualty. If licensed as a workers' compensation adjuster only, the ethics requirement does not apply. After conversion to a biennial license, each resident licensee must complete twenty (20) hours of approved continuing education courses through the State Workers' Compensation Board or complete the normal continuing education requirement specifically in the lines of property and casualty, by the dates specified in Rule 120-2-3-.16.

(d) Persons newly licensed prior to July 1, 2012. Newly licensed persons who have taken the required prelicensing course will be considered to have met the initial requirements for continuing education by filing a copy of the prelicensing course certificate with the required renewal form. This exemption only applies to continuing education requirements for the first year of licensure for those who obtained their license prior to July 1, 2012.

(e) Agents licensed in the property line of authority that will be selling through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) must complete a one-time three (3) hour continuing education course related to NFIP. This three (3) hour course will count towards the agent's continuing education requirement and can be used toward the Ethics requirement.

(f) On or after January 1, 2009, an Agent may not sell, solicit or negotiate a long term care partnership policy unless the individual has completed an initial eight (8) hour long term care training course. Agent must also complete ongoing training consisting of a four (4) hour continuing education course every 24 months. Such training must meet the requirements as outlined in Section 120-2-3-.12. To meet the 24-month timing requirements, an agent must complete this long term care continuing education course during each biennial license cycle required of all other continuing education requirements as set out in Section 120-2-3-.16 measured from the date of completion of the agent's initial eight (8) hour long term care training course.

1. Resident agents that have taken another state's qualified long term care partnership course may receive credit for up to six (6) hours toward the Georgia partnership training course requirement. Such resident agent must complete an approved two (2) hour Georgia specific Medicaid course in order to meet the eight (8) hour training requirement.

2. Insurers offering a long term care partnership policy shall obtain verification that an agent has received the training required in 120-2-3-.12(1)(c) and this section before the agent is permitted to sell, solicit or negotiate the insurer's long term care partnership policy.

3. Each insurer shall maintain records with respect to the training of its agents qualified to sell, solicit or negotiate long term care partnership policies, to include training received and that the agent has demonstrated an understanding of the partnership policies and their relationship to public and private coverage of long term care, including Medicaid. These records shall be maintained for a period of not less than five years and shall be made available to the Commissioner upon request.

(g) On or after March 1, 2016, an Agent may not sell, solicit or negotiate an annuity product unless the individual has completed a one- time four (4) hour Annuity Suitability continuing education course approved by the department of insurance and provided by a department approved education provider.

1. Insurance producers who hold a life insurance line of authority on the effective date of this regulation and who desire to sell annuities shall complete the requirements of this subsection within six (6) months after the effective date of this regulation.

2. Individuals who obtain a life insurance line of authority on or after the effective date of this regulation may not engage in the sale of annuities until the annuity training course required under this subsection has been completed.

3. The satisfaction of the training requirements of another State that are substantially similar to the provisions of this subsection shall be deemed to satisfy the training requirements of this subsection in this State.

4. An insurer shall verify that an insurance producer has completed the annuity training course required under 120-2-3-.12(1)(d) and this subsection before allowing the producer to sell an annuity product for that insurer. An insurer may satisfy its responsibility under this subsection by obtaining certificates of completion of the training course or obtaining reports provided by Commissioner-sponsored database systems or vendors or from a reasonably reliable commercial database vendor that has a reporting arrangement with approved insurance education providers.

(3) Following the initial reporting date for new licensees, each person shall report on the date specified in Rule 120-2-3-.16 of this Regulation the appropriate number of hours for the previous reporting period.

(4) Credit will not be given for the same Continuing Education course taken multiple times within the same Continuing Education reporting period.

(5) Credit for continuing education earned in one filing period in excess of the hours required may be carried forward to the next filing period, provided that credit carried forward shall not exceed fifty percent (50%) of biennial continuing education requirement.

(6) Credit hours issued for Ethics in excess of the requirement may be carried forward to the next renewal period and applied toward the hours for subject areas for lines of authority held. Ethics credit hours may only be applied to the Ethics requirement during the renewal period taken.

Notes

Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 120-2-3-.15

O.C.G.A. §§ 33-2-9, 33-23-12, 33-23-15, 33-23-18, 33-23-44, 33-42-6, 33-42-7.

Original Rule entitled "Continuing Education Hours Required" adopted. F. Sept. 10, 1992; eff. Sept. 30, 1992. Amended: Rule retitled "Continuing Education Requirements". F. Aug. 9, 1996; eff. Aug. 29, 1996. Amended: F. July 23, 1998; eff. August 12, 1998. Amended: F. Jan. 14, 2000; eff. Feb. 3, 2000. Repealed: New Rule entitled "Resident Continuing Education Requirements" adopted. F. Jan. 15, 2003; eff. Feb. 4, 2003. Amended: F. July 16, 2009; eff. August 5, 2009. Repealed: New Emergency Rule adopted. F. Jun. 28, 2012; eff. Jun. 28, 2012, as specified by the agency. Repealed: New Rule of same title adopted. F. Sept. 10, 2012; eff. Sept. 30, 2012. Amended: F. Apr. 16, 2014; eff. May 6, 2014. Amended: F. Sept. 21, 2015; eff. Mar. 1, 2016, as specified by the Agency. Amended: F. Sept. 20, 2023; eff. Aug. 1, 2023, as specified by the Agency.