(a) A registered sanitarian must obtain and show proof
of 24 continuing education hours related to the field of consumer
health, environmental health, or sanitation taken within the 24 months
preceding renewal for a registration issued for a two-year term.
(b) Only the following continuing education activities
shall serve as a basis for registration renewal:
(1) approved by the department or its designee in accordance
with this section; or
(2) approved by another professional regulatory agency
in Texas as acceptable continuing education for registration renewal.
(c) Acceptable continuing education must be provided
by one of the following types of sponsors:
(1) a governmental agency;
(2) an accredited college or university;
(3) an association with a membership of 25 or more
persons; or
(4) a pre-approved commercial education business.
(d) Government agencies, non-profit organizations,
and accredited colleges and universities are pre-approved as sponsors
for continuing education when the activity is conducted or sponsored
in compliance with these rules and is directly related to environmental
health, consumer health, or sanitation.
(e) Continuing education activities conducted by approved
sponsors must meet the following criteria:
(1) the activity must have significant educational
or practical content to maintain appropriate levels of competency;
(2) the activity must have a record keeping procedure
provided by the sponsor which includes a register of who took the
course and the number of continuing education hours earned;
(3) the sponsor must include procedures for verifying
participant attendance as well as comprehension of subject matter
presented. These procedures may include, but are not limited to, examinations,
post-activity questionnaires, field demonstrations, in-class workbooks
or handout materials, and/or question and answer periods to assure
participant understanding of the subject matter;
(4) the activity must be at least 50 minutes in length
of actual instruction time. No credit will be given for time used
to promote the sponsor or other non-relevant activities; and
(5) the sponsor must ensure the activity complies with
all applicable federal and state laws, including the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements for access to activities.
(f) Acceptable continuing education activities in consumer
health, environmental health, or sanitation include the following:
(1) conferences;
(2) home-study training modules (including professional
journals requiring successful completion of a test document);
(3) lectures;
(4) panel discussions;
(5) seminars;
(6) accredited college or university courses;
(7) video or film presentations with live instruction;
(8) field demonstrations;
(9) teleconferences;
(10) online training; or
(11) other activities approved by the department.
(g) Sponsors must ensure that all continuing education
instructors have one of the following credentials or hold one of the
following positions:
(1) certification as a registered sanitarian by the
department;
(2) instructor at the Texas Engineering Extension Service;
(3) faculty member at an accredited college or university;
(4) employee of the department or the Department of
State Health Services; or
(5) teaching or work experience determined by the sponsor
to be sufficient.
(h) To obtain department approval to provide approved
continuing education, the sponsor must submit:
(1) a completed application on department forms;
(2) the fee prescribed in §119.80; and
(3) any additional information or material requested
by the department.
(i) Each approved continuing education sponsor shall
be approved for one year from the date of approval. Sponsors who wish
to continue approval should submit a sponsor approval form and prescribed
fee.
(j) Sponsors of approved continuing education activities
shall:
(1) at the conclusion of the activity, distribute to
those registered sanitarians who have successfully completed the activity
a certificate of completion which shall include the name of the sponsor,
the date and name of the activity, and the continuing education hours
earned; and
(2) maintain a copy of the register for five years
and provide it to the department upon request.
(k) Each registered sanitarian shall collect and keep
certificates of completion from all courses completed. These certificates
of completion will be used to document a registered sanitarian's attendance
at approved courses. Transcripts showing coursework in environmental
or consumer health from an accredited college or university, or written
verification of hours approved by the National Environmental Health
Association (NEHA) will also be accepted. The department will conduct
random audits for compliance with this requirement.
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