Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 3, September 1, 2024
NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY:
KRS
321.211(7) and
321.441(3)
authorize the Kentucky Board of Veterinary Examiners to require a person
applying for renewal or reinstatement to show evidence of completion of
continuing education.
KRS
321.235(3) and
321.240(5)
authorize the board to promulgate administrative regulations to implement KRS
Chapter 321. This administrative regulation establishes the requirements for
continuing education hours relating to the practice of veterinary medicine and
veterinary technicians.
Section 1.
Continuing Education Requirements for License Renewal and Reinstatement.
(1) A veterinarian shall complete biennially
thirty (30) hours of continuing education to be eligible for renewal of his or
her license. At least twenty (20) of the thirty (30) hours shall be directly
related to the practice of veterinary medicine. No more than ten (10) of the
thirty (30) hours shall pertain to practice management or other topics that are
not directly related to the practice of veterinary medicine.
(2) A veterinary technician shall annually
complete six (6) hours of continuing education to be eligible for renewal of
his or her license.
(3) In addition
to attendance at a conference, lecture, or seminar, a veterinarian or
veterinary technician may complete the hours of continuing education required
for renewal by the completion of audio or video recordings or electronic,
computer, or interactive material prepared or approved by any of the
organizations established in Section 2(1) and (2) of this administrative
regulation. There shall not be a limit to the number of online hours a licensee
may apply to his or her renewal.
(4)
(a)
Continuing education shall be earned from October 1 of each renewal period
until September 30 at the end of the period, or until November 30 at the end of
the grace period with the addition of a late fee in accordance with
201 KAR
16:510 for veterinarians and
201 KAR
16:512 for veterinary technicians.
(b) A licensee may apply continuing education
hours to only one (1) renewal cycle. Continuing education hours earned for a
given course shall not be applied to the total required hours again in the
following renewal cycle.
(5) A veterinarian applying for renewal after
completing his or her initial term of licensure after graduating from a
veterinary college may complete a reduced number of hours of continuing
education to be eligible for renewal as established in this subsection. This
subsection shall not apply to applicants for licensure by endorsement under
KRS
321.221 who graduated prior to the renewal
biennium during which they were initially licensed.
(a) A veterinarian completing his or her
initial term of licensure who graduated from a veterinary college during the
first year of the preceding biennium shall complete fifteen (15) hours of
continuing education to be eligible for renewal.
(b) Continuing education requirements shall
be waived for a veterinarian completing his or her initial term of licensure
who graduated during the second year of the preceding biennium.
(6) For a veterinary technician,
continuing education requirements shall be waived for a new licensee completing
his or her initial term of licensure who also graduated within 12-months of
initial licensure. This paragraph shall not apply to applicants for licensure
by endorsement who graduated prior to the renewal cycle during which they were
initially licensed.
(7)
(a) A veterinarian or veterinary technician
may submit a written request to the board for approval of a fellowship,
internship, or residency in lieu of the continuing education hours required for
license renewal.
(b) The number of
continuing education hours granted shall be determined by the board.
(c) The request shall:
1. Include a letter of verification from an
authorized representative of the organization providing the fellowship,
internship, or residency opportunity;
2. Be printed on the organization's
letterhead; and
3. Provide a
description of the position itself, a summary of assigned tasks, and the
anticipated or completed beginning and ending dates of the position.
(8) Continuing
education hours shall be required as follows for reinstatement applications:
(a) For veterinarians, thirty (30) hours in a
twenty four (24) month period prior to the date of application; and
(b) For veterinary technicians, six (6) hours
in a twelve (12) month period prior to the date of application.
Section 2. Approved
Continuing Education Courses.
(1) The board
hereby approves the following continuing education courses:
(a) All scientific programs of the American
Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), its constituent organizations, and its
recognized specialty groups and accredited veterinary medical institutions
whose meetings impart educational material directly relating to veterinary
medicine;
(b) Programs approved by
the Registry of Approved Continuing Education (RACE) of the American
Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB);
(c) Accreditation modules offered by the
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS); and
(d)
All programs approved by the board pursuant to subsection (2) of this
section.
(2)
(a) By a majority vote, the board may approve
programs that are deemed to impart knowledge directly relating to the practice
of veterinary medicine, including the utilization and application of new
techniques, scientific and clinical advances, and the achievement of research
to assure expansive and comprehensive care to the public.
(b) To request approval, a completed Request
for Continuing Education Approval form shall be submitted to the
board.
Section
3. Continuing Education Documentation Requirements.
(1) A licensee shall:
(a) Secure documentation of completed
attendance at a course, detailing the hours earned;
(b) Submit on the Renewal Application for
Veterinarians form or Renewal Application for Veterinary Technicians form as
found in
201 KAR
16:700 or online equivalent forms, as appropriate, the
name, dates, and identifying information for each course he or she attended;
and
(c) Retain copies of continuing
education documentation for a period of four (4) years from the date of
licensure renewal.
(2)
The board may require an applicant or licensee to submit copies of
documentation of his or her attendance at continuing education
courses.
Section 4.
Continuing Education Requirement Waivers.
(1)
The board may, in individual cases involving medical disability or illness,
grant waivers of the continuing education requirements or extensions of time
within which to fulfill the same or make the required reports.
(a) A written request for an extension or
waiver of continuing education requirements for medical disability or illness
reasons waiver or extension of time shall be submitted by the licensee. The
board may require a signed document from a physician or other health care
provider to verify the licensee's claimed disability or illness.
(b) A waiver of the minimum continuing
education requirements or an extension of time within which to fulfill the
requirements shall not be granted by the board for a period of time exceeding
one (1) calendar year.
(c) If the
medical disability or illness upon which a waiver or extension has been granted
persists beyond the period of the waiver or extension, the licensee shall have
the option to apply for another extension.
(2) The board shall grant a waiver to a
licensee who is unable to meet the continuing education requirements of this
administrative regulation because of obligations arising from military duty.
(a) A licensee engaged in active military
duty and deployed outside the United States for more than eight (8) months
shall not be required to complete the continuing education requirement for
licensure periods during which that status exists.
(b) A licensee who is called to active duty
in the armed forces shall not be required to complete the continuing education
requirement for licensure periods during which that status exists.
(c) The licensee requesting an extension or
waiver pursuant to this subsection shall submit with his or her renewal or
reinstatement paperwork, the appropriate military assignment form, deployment
orders, or a statement from the licensee's unit commander confirming the
call-up or deployment.
Section 5. Incorporation by Reference.
(1) "Request for Continuing Education
Approval", 2/2020, is incorporated by reference.
(2) This material may be inspected, copied,
or obtained, subjected to applicable copyright law, at the Kentucky Board of
Veterinary Examiners, 107 Corporate Drive, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601, Monday
through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This material may also be obtained at
www.kybve.com.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY:
KRS
321.211(7),
321.235(3),
321.240(5),
321.441(3)