| 10 | 6 | | general provisions regarding professions and businesses, so as to establish on behalf of2 |
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| 11 | 7 | | professional licensing boards under the jurisdiction of the office of the Secretary of State a3 |
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| 12 | 8 | | continuing education tracking solution to monitor compliance of licensees with applicable4 |
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| 13 | 9 | | continuing education requirements; to provide for definitions; to require compliance with5 |
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| 14 | 10 | | continuing education requirements prior to the issuance of certain licenses; to provide for the6 |
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| 15 | 11 | | adoption of rules and regulations; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective7 |
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| 16 | 12 | | date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.8 |
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| 17 | 13 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:9 |
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| 18 | 14 | | SECTION 1.10 |
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| 19 | 15 | | Chapter 1 of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general11 |
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| 20 | 16 | | provisions regarding professions and businesses, is amended by adding a new Code section12 |
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| 21 | 17 | | to read as follows:13 |
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| 24 | 19 | | (a) As used in this Code section, the term:15 |
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| 25 | 20 | | H. B. 34 (SUB) |
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| 26 | 21 | | - 1 - 25 LC 55 0467S |
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| 27 | 22 | | (1) 'License' means any document, permit, certificate of registration, or other16 |
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| 28 | 23 | | authorization issued by or on behalf of a professional licensing board that is required for17 |
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| 29 | 24 | | a person to engage in a profession, business, or trade.18 |
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| 30 | 25 | | (2) 'Licensee' means any person who is required to be licensed or who is actually19 |
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| 31 | 26 | | licensed by a professional licensing board.20 |
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| 32 | 27 | | (b) The office of the Secretary of State on behalf of all professional licensing boards under21 |
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| 33 | 28 | | its jurisdiction that require continuing education shall establish a continuing education22 |
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| 34 | 29 | | tracking solution to monitor compliance of licensees with applicable continuing education23 |
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| 35 | 30 | | requirements and to determine whether a licensee is in full compliance with such24 |
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| 36 | 31 | | requirements at the time of making application for license renewal. Such tracking solution25 |
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| 37 | 32 | | may be an off-premises hosted software-as-a-service application accessible through a26 |
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| 38 | 33 | | public website. The Secretary of State may contract with third parties to implement,27 |
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| 39 | 34 | | integrate, or otherwise provide such tracking system.28 |
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| 40 | 35 | | (c) On and after January 1, 2026, a professional licensing board shall not renew a license29 |
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| 41 | 36 | | until the applicant has complied with all applicable continuing education requirements as30 |
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| 42 | 37 | | verified using the continuing education tracking solution required by subsection (b) of this31 |
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| 43 | 38 | | Code section. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit a professional licensing board from32 |
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| 44 | 39 | | granting a waiver or imposing additional penalties as otherwise provided by law or by the33 |
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| 45 | 40 | | rules or regulations of the applicable board for failure to comply with continuing education34 |
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| 46 | 41 | | requirements.35 |
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| 47 | 42 | | (d) The professional licensing boards and the division director may adopt any rules and36 |
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| 48 | 43 | | regulations necessary to implement this Code section."37 |
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| 49 | 44 | | SECTION 2.38 |
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| 50 | 45 | | This Act shall become effective upon its approval by the Governor or upon its becoming law39 |
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| 51 | 46 | | without such approval.40 |
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| 52 | 47 | | H. B. 34 (SUB) |
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| 53 | 48 | | - 2 - 25 LC 55 0467S |
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