Ohio Admin. Code 4717-9-01 - Continuing education requirements

(A) Pursuant to section 4717.09 of the Revised Code, each person licensed to practice as an embalmer or funeral director in this state shall earn a minimum of eighteen hours of continuing education programs approved by the board for the two year compliance period and every two years thereafter. Compliance shall be required on or before the end of each two-year period following December 31, 2006. The two-year compliance period shall commence on January first of the next two-year compliance period following receipt of the applicant's initial license. Compliance with the requirements of continuing education is a prerequisite for license renewal.

(B) Pursuant to section 5903.12 of the Revised Code, the board upon receiving an application from one of its licensees that is accompanied by the proper documentation certifying that the licensee or spouse has been called to active duty during the current or prior reporting period and certifying the length of that active duty, shall extend the current reporting period by an amount of time equal to the total number of months that the licensee spent on active duty during the current reporting period. The board shall also consider relevant education, training, or service completed by a licensee as a member of the armed forces of the United States or reserve components thereof the Ohio National Guard, the Ohio military reserve, or the Ohio naval militia in determining whether a licensee has fulfilled required continuing education.

(C) Pursuant section 4717.08 of the Revised Code, the board's decision regarding license renewal is made on or before December thirty-first of each even numbered year.

(D) Hours of continuing education may be obtained by attending and participating in an approved program of activities.

(E) Approved program of activity

(1) A program of activity shall be qualified for approval as an approved program of activity if the board determines that:

(a) It constitutes an organized program of learning (including a workshop or symposium) which contributes directly to the professional competency of the licensee or it conforms to the master training requirements of this chapter; and

(b) It pertains to common subjects or other subject matters which integrally relate to the practice of embalming, funeral directing, and cremation.

(2) A provider, organization or person which desires to obtain approval of a course, program or other continuing education activity shall obtain approval prior to the activity. A provider, organization or person shall submit to the board an application established by the board. Except for online and webinar continuing education programs, the application shall be submitted to the board no later than ten business days preceding the board's monthly meeting. A separate application shall be submitted for each course, program, convention, or other continuing education activity desiring approval. The applicant shall state the dates, subjects offered, total hours of instruction, names and qualifications of speakers, other pertinent information, and a sample of the certificate of completion. The board shall approve or deny such a completed application that is timely submitted at the next regular meeting of the board. Any program approved by the board will be valid through the current compliance period, providing that there is no change to content. The provider shall notify the board at least fifteen days in advance of offering the approved course or program of all changes including locations, dates, times, or changes of course instructors if the course was previously approved by the board, except when an emergency has occurred closer to the date of the approved course or program, making it necessary to change the location of the course or program. The notice shall be submitted in a manner specified by the board to the board office on a form prescribed by the board.

(3) Providers approved to offer continuing education must comply with all local, state, and federal law prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, gender, disability, and age.

(F) Except as otherwise provided in this rule, the board may approve thirty minutes of continuing education credit for every thirty minutes of attendance by a licensee at an approved program of activity. A licensee may earn thirty minutes of continuing education credit on an approved program specifically designating thirty-minute increments. Thirty minutes of continuing education credit shall not be awarded on a program approved for full hour increments. Fifty minutes constitutes one hour of continuing education.

(G) A minimum of six hours of continuining continuing education shall be fullfilled fulfilled through programs that are conducted in person, face to face, and open to all licensees.

Five of the required eighteen hours shall be fulfilled through programs addressing the following topics:

(1) Ethics (one hour);

(2) Preneed (two hours); and

(3) Laws and rules regulating the practice of funeral directing, embalming, and cremation (two hours),

(H) In the event the governor has declared a state of emergency, and if the board of embalmers and funeral directors determines that it is a hardship to obtain in-person hours, it may exempt the in-person, face to face requirement for the compliance period during which the state of emergency was declared.

(H) (I) The board shall not consider individual insurance programs for continuing education credit.

(I) (J) The board shall allow four hours of credit for licensees who submit a copy of the "licensee continuing education transcript" from the Ohio department of insurance evidencing satisfactory completion of the continuing education requirements for issuance or renewal of an insurance license.

(J) (K) An individual licensee seeking credit for attendance and participation in an educational activity out of the state of Ohio which is not approved prior to the date of the activity shall submit on a form established by the board within thirty days after completion of such activity, request for credit, including a brief resume of the activity, its dates, subjects, instructors, and their qualifications and the number of credit hours requested therefore and all necessary printed matter. Within ninety days after receipt of such application, the board shall advise the licensee in writing whether the activity is approved and the number of hours. A licensee not complying with the requirements of this paragraph may be denied credit for such activity.

(K) (L) Certificates of completion must be awarded upon the successful completion of all approved continuing education courses and must include the following information:

(1) Provider's name;

(2) Licensee's name and license number;

(3) Approved course title;

(4) Date of course completion;

(5) Course location;

(6) Number of approved continuing education credit hours awarded;

(7) Signature of provider or representative for provider;

(8) Approved course number;

(9) Required topic category; and

(10) Identify if course or program is a webinar, online, private, or open to all licensees.

(L) (M) A license shall not be renewed unless the licensee certifies on the renewal application that the individual completed or will complete before the end of the two-year period the required number of continuing education hours specified in paragraph (A) of this rule.

Notes

Ohio Admin. Code 4717-9-01

Effective: 10/15/2020
Five Year Review (FYR) Dates: 1/10/2024
Promulgated Under: 119.03
Statutory Authority: 4717.04(A)(6)
Rule Amplifies: 4717.09
Prior Effective Dates: 08/01/1981, 01/01/1984, 07/01/1987, 01/01/2001, 11/10/2005, 01/09/2007, 04/10/2011, 01/10/2019