(a) Required Continuing Education Hours.
(1) Licensed Veterinarians. Seventeen (17) hours of
acceptable continuing education shall be required annually for renewal
of all types of Texas veterinary licenses, except as provided in subsection
(b) of this section. Veterinary licensees who successfully complete
the Texas State Board Licensing Examination shall receive credit for
17 continuing education hours for their first renewal year following
licensure.
(2) Licensed Equine Dental Providers. Six (6) hours
of acceptable continuing education shall be required annually for
renewal of Texas equine dental provider licenses.
(3) Licensed Veterinary Technicians. Ten (10) hours
of acceptable continuing education shall be required annually for
renewal of Texas veterinary technician licenses.
(4) A licensee shall earn the required hours of acceptable
continuing education during the renewal year immediately preceding
the licensee's application for license renewal. Should a licensee
earn acceptable continuing education hours during the year in excess
of the required hours, the licensee may carry over and apply the excess
hours to the requirement for the next renewal year. Licensees may
carry over excess hours to the following renewal year only, and may
not carry over more hours than the licensee is required to earn in
a renewal year.
(5) Hardship extensions may be granted by appeal to
the Executive Director of the Board. The executive director shall
only consider requests for a hardship extension from licensees who
were prevented from completing the required continuing education hours
due to circumstances beyond the licensee's control. A hardship extension
generally will not be allowed due to financial hardship or lack of
time due to a busy professional or personal schedule. Requests for
a hardship extension must be received in writing and in the Board
offices by no later than the 15th day of the month three (3) months
prior to the last day of the licensee’s birth month. Should
such extension be granted, twice the number of hours of continuing
education required for a standard annual license renewal shall be
obtained in the two-year period of time that includes the year of
insufficiency and the year of extension. Licensees receiving a hardship
extension shall maintain records of the continuing education obtained
and shall file copies of these records with the Board by attaching
the records to the license renewal application submitted following
the extension year, or by sending them to the Board separately if
the licensee submits his or her renewal application electronically
(on-line).
(6) A military service member, as defined in Chapter
55, §55.001, of the Texas Occupations Code, has up to two years
to complete the required continuing education requirements for each
renewal year.
(7) Except as provided in subsection (a)(1) of this
section, continuing education hours obtained prior to licensure in
Texas may not be applied toward the required number of continuing
education hours.
(b) Exemption from Continuing Education Requirements
for Veterinary Licensees. A veterinary licensee is not required to
obtain or report continuing education hours, provided that the veterinary
licensee submits to the Board sufficient proof that during the preceding
year the veterinary licensee was:
(1) in retired status;
(2) a veterinary intern or resident; or
(3) out-of-country on charitable, military, or special
government assignments for at least nine (9) months in a year; or
(4) on inactive status. Veterinary licensees on inactive
status may voluntarily acquire continuing education for purposes of
reinstating his/her license to regular status.
(c) Make up Hours. The Board may require a licensee
who does not complete the required hours of continuing education to
make up the missed hours in later years. Hours required to be made
up in a later year are in addition to the continuing education hours
required to be completed in that year.
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Source Note: The provisions of this §573.64 adopted to be effective June 14, 2012, 37 TexReg 4229; amended to be effective May 4, 2014, 39 TexReg 3427; amended to be effective November 22, 2015, 40 TexReg 8028; amended to be effective March 22, 2016, 41 TexReg 2166; amended to be effective March 26, 2017, 42 TexReg 1449 |