Requirements for continuing education

The board shall establish continuing education requirements for license renewal. The number of hours of continuing education in each specialty shall not exceed the number of hours available that year in each such specialty in board approved courses within the state. The board may waive these continuing education requirements for not more than 12 months, but such waiver shall only be available upon the licensee’s satisfactory showing to the board of undue hardship. History. Code 1981, § 43-7A-16, enacted by Ga. L. 1984, p. 1406, § 1; Ga. L. 2016, p. 257, § 3/SB 319; Ga. L. 2021, p. 729, § 3/HB 395; Ga. L. 2022, p. 523, § 1/HB 972. The 2021 amendment, effective July 1, 2021, substituted “this article” for “this chapter” in three places in subsection (b). The 2022 amendment, effective July 1, 2022, deleted the subsection (a) designation; and deleted former subsection (b), which read: “On or before January 1, 2017, the board shall develop a curriculum of continuing education relating to diagnosing by persons licensed under this article working with people with mental illness, developmental disabilities, or substance abuse. All persons licensed under this article who have not already completed as of January 1, 2017, sufficient training, experience, or classes related to diagnosing as part of their licensure requirements as required by the board shall complete such curriculum no later than January 1, 2018. As of April 26, 2016, persons licensed under this article with at least ten years of experience as a professional counselor, clinical social worker, or marriage and family therapist working with people with mental illness, developmental disabilities, or substance abuse and in good standing with the board shall be exempt from the requirements of this subsection.”.