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PA Governor signs Continuing Education Law
HB 975 (Act 25) brings Pennsylvania’s Continuing Education Law more in line with the NCEES Model Regulation for Continuing Education.
The law requires each licensee to obtain twenty-four PDH units during a biennial renewal period. If a licensee exceeds the requirement in any renewal period, a maximum of twelve PDH units may be carried forward into the subsequent renewal period.
Continuing professional competency obtained by a licensee should maintain, improve or expand skills and knowledge obtained prior to initial licensure, including law and ethics applicable to the profession, or develop new and relevant skills and knowledge. No credit shall be given for a course in practice building or office management.
PDH units may be earned as follows:
(1) Successful completion of college courses relevant to professional practice.
(2) Completion of continuing education courses relevant to professional practice.
(3) Completion of correspondence, televised, videotaped and other short courses or tutorials relevant to professional practice.
(4) Completion of seminars, employer-sponsored courses, workshops or professional or technical presentations made at meetings, conventions or conferences relevant to professional practice.
(5) Teaching, presenting or instructing in any of the activities listed in (1), (2), (3) and (4).
(6) Authoring published papers, articles or books relevant to professional practice.
(7) Obtaining patents relevant to professional practice.
Credit shall be converted to PDH units as follows:
(i) One college or unit semester hour shall equal forty-five PDH units.
(ii) One college or unit quarter hour shall equal thirty PDH units.
(iii) One continuing education unit shall equal ten PDH units.
(iv) One hour of professional development in course work, seminars or professional, technical presentations made at meetings, employer-sponsored courses, conventions or conferences shall equal one PDH unit.
(v) Each published paper, article or book shall equal ten PDH units.
(vi) Each patent obtained shall equal ten PDH units.
(2) Teaching any of the activities listed in clause (1)(i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) shall equal double the amount of PDH units provided for in those subclauses. Teaching credit shall be awarded for teaching a course or seminar but shall not be awarded to full-time faculty members in the performance of their duties at their employing institutions.
The following terms are added as terms to the Registration Act.
(o) "Activity" shall mean any qualifying activity with a clear purpose and objective which will maintain, improve or expand the skills and knowledge relevant to a licensee's professional practice.
(p) "College or Unit Semester Hour" or "College or Unit Quarter Hour" shall mean credit for courses in programs approved by the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology or the National Association of State Boards of Geology or other related college courses.
(q) "Continuing Education Unit" shall mean a unit of credit customarily used for continuing education courses.
(r) "Course" shall mean any qualifying course with a clear purpose and objective which will maintain, improve or expand the skills and knowledge relevant to a licensee's professional practice.
(s) "Geologist-in-training" means a candidate for licensure as a professional geologist who has been granted a certificate as a geologist-in-training after successfully passing the required written examination in fundamental geology subjects and who shall be eligible, upon completion of the requisite years of experience in geology under the supervision of a professional or similarly qualified geologist, for the final examination prescribed for licensure as a professional geologist.
(t) "Professional Development Hour" or "PDH" shall mean fifty minutes of instruction or presentation relevant to professional practice or any equivalent.
If you have question on the new law call Andrew Hilt at 717-540-6811