CS/HB 497 2024
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to continuing education requirements; 2
amending s. 455.2123, F.S.; requiring, rather than 3
authorizing, a board, or the Department of Business 4
and Professional Regulation when there is no board, to 5
allow by rule that distance learning may be used to 6
satisfy continuing education requirements; revising 7
the requirements that such continuing education must 8
satisfy; amending s. 455.2124, F.S.; requiri ng the 9
board, or the department when there is no board, to 10
exempt certain individuals from completing their 11
continuing education requirements; providing 12
applicability; requiring the department and each 13
affected board to adopt rules; authorizing the 14
department to adopt emergency rules; specifying time 15
in which such emergency rules are effective; 16
authorizing renewal of such emergency rules in certain 17
circumstances; providing for the expiration of such 18
rulemaking authority; providing an effective date. 19
20
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 21
22
Section 1. Section 455.2123, Florida Statutes, is amended 23
to read: 24
455.2123 Continuing education. —A board, or the department 25
CS/HB 497 2024
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
when there is no board, shall allow may provide by rule that 26
distance learning may be used to satisfy continuing education 27
requirements. A board, or the department when there is no board, 28
shall approve distance learning courses as an alternative to 29
classroom courses to satisfy continuing education requirements . 30
A board, or the department when there is no board, provided for 31
in part VIII, part XV, or part XVI of chapter 468 or part I or 32
part II of chapter 475 and may not require centralized 33
examinations for completion of continuing education requirements 34
for the professions licensed under part VIII, part XV, or part 35
XVI of chapter 468 or part I or part II of chapter 475. 36
Section 2. Section 455.2124, Florida Statutes, is amended 37
to read: 38
455.2124 Proration of or not requiring continuing 39
education.— 40
(1) A board, or the department when there is no board, 41
may: 42
(a)(1) Prorate continuing education for new licensees by 43
requiring half of the required continuing education for any 44
applicant who becomes licensed with more than half the renewal 45
period remaining and no continui ng education for any applicant 46
who becomes licensed with half or less than half of the renewal 47
period remaining; or 48
(b)(2) Require no continuing education until the first 49
full renewal cycle of the licensee. 50
CS/HB 497 2024
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
51
These options shall also apply when continuing education is 52
first required or the number of hours required is increased by 53
law or the board, or the department when there is no board. 54
(2)(a) A board, or the department when there is no board, 55
shall exempt an individual from completing the continuing 56
education required for renewal of a license for a renewal period 57
if: 58
1. The individual holds an active license issued by the 59
board or the department to practice the profession. 60
2. The individual has continuously held the license for at 61
least 10 years. 62
3. Disciplinary action has not been imposed on the 63
individual's license. 64
(b) This subsection does not apply to: 65
1. Engineers regulated by chapter 471; 66
2. Certified public accountants regulated by chapter 473; 67
3. Brokers, broker associates, and sales associates 68
regulated by part I of chapter 475; 69
4. Appraisers regulated by part II of chapter 475; 70
5. Architects or interior designers regulated by part I of 71
chapter 481; or 72
6. Contractors regulated by chapter 489. 73
(3) The department and each affected board shall adopt 74
rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement this 75
CS/HB 497 2024
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
section. 76
Section 3. (1) The Department of Business and 77
Professional Regulation is authorized, and all conditions are 78
deemed to be met, to adopt emergency rules pursuant to s. 79
120.54(4), Florida Statutes, for the purpose of implementing the 80
amendments made by this act to s. 455.2124, Florida Statutes, 81
including establishing procedures to facilitate the exemption 82
for eligible individuals from completing continuing education. 83
(2) Notwithstanding any other law, emergency rules adopted 84
pursuant to subsection (1) are effective for 6 months after 85
adoption and may be renewed during the pendency of procedures to 86
adopt permanent rules add ressing the subject of the emergency 87
rules. 88
(3) This section expires on January 1, 2026. 89
Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 90