Florida Senate - 2024 SB 382 By Senator Hooper 21-00477A-24 2024382__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to continuing education requirements; 3 amending s. 455.2123, F.S.; requiring, rather than 4 authorizing, a board, or the Department of Business 5 and Professional Regulation when there is no board, to 6 allow by rule that distance learning may be used to 7 satisfy continuing education requirements; revising 8 the requirements that such continuing education must 9 satisfy; providing applicability; amending s. 10 455.2124, F.S.; requiring the board, or the department 11 when there is no board, to exempt certain individuals 12 from completing their continuing education 13 requirements; providing applicability; requiring the 14 department and each affected board to adopt rules; 15 providing an effective date. 16 17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 18 19 Section 1.Section 455.2123, Florida Statutes, is amended 20 to read: 21 455.2123Continuing education.A board, or the department 22 when there is no board, shall allow may provide by rule that 23 distance learning may be used to satisfy continuing education 24 requirements. A board, or the department when there is no board, 25 shall approve distance learning courses as an alternative to 26 classroom courses to satisfy continuing education requirements. 27 A board, or the department when there is no board, provided for 28 in part VIII, part XV, or part XVI of chapter 468 or part I or 29 part II of chapter 475 and may not require centralized 30 examinations for completion of continuing education requirements 31 for the professions licensed under part VIII, part XV, or part 32 XVI of chapter 468 or part I or part II of chapter 475. This 33 section does not apply to any medical board or department 34 regulated by the Department of Health. 35 Section 2.Section 455.2124, Florida Statutes, is amended 36 to read: 37 455.2124Proration of or not requiring continuing 38 education. 39 (1)A board, or the department when there is no board, may: 40 (a)(1)Prorate continuing education for new licensees by 41 requiring half of the required continuing education for any 42 applicant who becomes licensed with more than half the renewal 43 period remaining and no continuing education for any applicant 44 who becomes licensed with half or less than half of the renewal 45 period remaining; or 46 (b)(2)Require no continuing education until the first full 47 renewal cycle of the licensee. 48 49 These options shall also apply when continuing education is 50 first required or the number of hours required is increased by 51 law or the board, or the department when there is no board. 52 (2)(a)A board, or the department when there is no board, 53 shall exempt an individual from completing the continuing 54 education required for renewal of a license for a renewal period 55 if: 56 1.The individual holds an active license issued by the 57 board or department to practice the profession; 58 2.The individual has continuously held the license for at 59 least 10 years; and 60 3.No disciplinary action is imposed on the individuals 61 license. 62 (b)This subsection does not apply to any medical board or 63 department regulated by the Department of Health. 64 (3)The department and each affected board shall adopt 65 rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement this 66 section. 67 Section 3.This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.