Current through Register Vol. 51, No. 3, September 1, 2024
RELATES TO:
KRS
309.304(5)
NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY:
KRS
309.314(7) authorizes the
board to promulgate an administrative regulation that requires interpreters who
apply for renewal or reinstatement to show evidence of completion of continuing
education. This administrative regulation delineates the requirements for
continuing education and prescribes methods and standards for the accreditation
of continuing education courses.
Section
1. Accrual of Continuing Education Hours Mandatory for Full
Licensure; Computation of Accrual.
(1) A
person who is licensed as an interpreter shall have earned a total of fifteen
(15) hours of approved continuing education during the compliance period, prior
to renewal of his or her license for the next licensure period.
(2) A minimum of half of the fifteen (15)
hours shall be from any of the following sources, alone or in combination:
(a) Alexander Graham Bell Association of the
Deaf;
(b) American Sign Language
Teacher Association;
(c) National
Association of the Deaf;
(d)
National Educational Interpreters Conference;
(e) Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf -
Certificate Maintenance Program; or
(f) Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf -
Associate Continuing Education Training.
(3) A minimum of fifteen (15) continuing
education hours shall be accrued by each licensee during the licensure period
for renewal for the following year.
(4) A minimum of three (3) total continuing
education hours shall be related to ethics.
Section 2. Accrual of Continuing Education
Hours Mandatory for Temporary Licensure; Computation of Accrual.
(1) A person who holds a temporary license as
an interpreter shall have earned a total of eighteen (18) hours of approved
continuing education during the compliance period, prior to renewal or
extension of his or her license for the next licensure period.
(2) A minimum of seven and one-half (7.5) of
the eighteen (18) hours shall be from any of the following sources, alone or in
combination;
(a) Alexander Graham Bell
Association for the Deaf;
(b)
American Sign Language Teacher Association;
(c) National Association of the
Deaf;
(d) National Educational
Interpreters Conference;
(e)
Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf - Certificated Maintenance Program;
or
(f) Registry of Interpreters for
the Deaf - Associate Continuing Education Training.
(3) A minimum of three (3) total continuing
hours shall be related to ethics.
Section 3. Methods of Acquiring Continuing
Education Hours. Continuing education hours applicable to the renewal of the
license shall be directly related to the professional growth and development of
an interpreter. The hours shall be earned by completing any of the following
educational activities:
(1) Programs not
requiring board review and approval. An educational program from any of the
following providers shall be deemed to be relevant to the practice of
interpreting and shall be approved without further review by the board:
(a) A program sponsored or approved by the:
1. Alexander Graham Bell Association of the
Deaf;
2. American Sign Language
Teacher Association;
3. National
Association of the Deaf; or
4.
Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf; or
(b) An academic course offered by an
accredited postsecondary institution that is directly related to interpreting.
Credit shall only be granted for grades of "C" or above.
(2) Programs requiring board review and
approval. A program from any of the following sources shall be reviewed and
determined if the program is relevant and therefore subsequently approved by
the board:
(a) Relevant programs, including
home study courses and in-service training provided by other organizations,
educational institutions, or other service providers approved by the
board;
(b) Relevant programs or
academic courses presented by the licensee. Presenters of relevant programs or
academic courses may earn full continuing education credit for each contact
hour of instruction, not to exceed three (3) hours of continuing education
credits. Credit shall not be issued for repeated presentation of the same
course.
(c) Authoring an article in
a relevant, professionally-recognized, or juried publication. Credit shall not
be granted for an article unless the article was published within the one (1)
year period immediately preceding the renewal date. A licensee shall earn three
(3) hours of continuing education credit toward the hours required for renewal.
No more than one (1) publication shall be counted during a renewal
period.
(d) A general education
course, elective course, or a course designed to meet degree requirements
offered by an accredited postsecondary institution. Academic credit equivalency
for continuing education hours shall be based on one (1) credit hour equals 10
continuing education hours. Credit shall only be granted for grades of "C" or
above.
Section
4. Procedures for Preapproval of Continuing Education Sponsors and
Programs.
(1) Any entity seeking to obtain
approval of a continuing education program prior to its offering shall complete
and submit the Application for Continuing Education Program Approval form to
the board at least sixty (60) days in advance of the commencement of the
program, stating the following:
(a) A
published course or similar description containing educational
objectives;
(b) Names and
qualifications of the instructors;
(c) A copy of the program agenda indicating
hours of instruction, coffee and lunch breaks; and
(d) Number of continuing education hours
offered;
(2) A
continuing education activity shall be qualified for approval if the board
determines the activity being offered:
(a) Is
an organized program of learning;
(b) Pertains to subject matters, which
integrally relate to the practice of interpreting;
(c) Contributes to the professional
competency of the licensee; and
(d)
Is conducted by individuals who have educational training or experience
acceptable to the board.
(3) A sponsor of continuing education
requiring board approval shall be responsible for submitting a course offering
to the board for review and approval before listing or advertising that
offering as approved by the board.
Section 5. Responsibilities and Reporting
Requirements of Licensees. A licensee shall be responsible for obtaining the
required continuing education hours. He shall identify his own continuing
education needs, take the initiative in seeking continuing education activities
to meet these needs, and seek ways to integrate new knowledge, skills and
attitudes. Each person holding a license shall:
(1) Select approved activities by which to
earn continuing education hours;
(2) Submit to the board when applicable a
request for approval for continuing education activities not approved by the
board as set forth in Section 7 of this administrative regulation;
(3) Maintain records of continuing education
hours. Each licensee shall maintain all documentation verifying successful
completion of continuing education hours for a period of two (2) years from the
date of renewal. During each licensure renewal period, up to fifteen (15)
percent of all licensees, chosen at random, shall be required by the board to
furnish documentation of the completion of the appropriate number of continuing
education hours for the current renewal period. Verification of continuing
education hours shall not be otherwise reported to the board;
(4) Document attendance and participation in
a continuing education activity in the form of official documents including
transcripts, certificates, affidavits signed by instructors, receipts for fees
paid to the sponsor, or less formal evidence including written summaries of
experience that are not otherwise formally or officially documented in any way.
The type of documentation required shall vary depending on the specific
activity submitted to the board for approval; and
(5) Fully comply with the provisions of this
administrative regulation. Failure to comply shall constitute a violation of
KRS
309.318(1)(e) and may result
in the refusal to renew, suspension, or revocation of the licensure.
Section 6. Procedures for Approval
of Continuing Education Programs. A course, which has not been preapproved by
the board, may be used for continuing education if approval is secured from the
board for the course. In order for the board to adequately review a program,
the following information shall be submitted:
(1) A published course or similar description
containing educational objectives; and
(2) Names and qualifications of the
instructors.
Section 7.
Carry Over of Continuing Education Hours. A licensee may carry over continuing
education hours earned in excess of those required under Section 1 of this
administrative regulation for one (1) renewal period, after which time they
expire. All carry-over hours shall comply with the requirements of Sections 1
through 3 of this administrative regulation.
Section 8. Board to Approve Continuing
Education Hours; Appeal when Approval Denied. In the event of a denial, in
whole or in part, of any application for approval of continuing education
hours, the licensee shall have the right to request reconsideration by the
board of its decision. The request shall be in writing, specifically stating
the reasons for reconsideration, and shall be received by the board within
thirty (30) days of the board's decision denying approval of continuing
education hours.
Section 9. Waiver
or Extensions of Continuing Education. All requests for waiver or extension
shall accompany the License Renewal Application Form.
(1) Upon written request, the board shall
consider whether to grant a waiver of continuing education requirements or an
extension of time within which to fulfill the requirements, in the following
cases:
(a) Medical disability of the
licensee;
(b) Illness of the
licensee or an immediate family member;
(c) Death or serious injury of an immediate
family member; or
(d) For good
cause shown.
(2) A
written request for a waiver or extension of time involving medical disability
or illness shall be:
(a) Submitted by the
person holding a license; and
(b)
Accompanied by a verifying document signed by a licensed physician.
(3) A request for a waiver or
extension of the continuing education requirements applies only to the current
licensure year.
(a) Subsequent requests for
waiver or extension of the continuing education requirements shall be made at
the time of licensure renewal.
(b)
There shall be no limit to the number of waivers or extensions that the board
may grant, as long as the applicant meets the requirements set forth in
subsections (1) and (2) of this section.
Section 10. Continuing Education Requirements
for Reinstatement of License.
(1) A person
requesting reinstatement of licensure shall submit evidence of completion of
required hours of continuing education within the twelve (12) month period
immediately preceding the date on which the request for reinstatement is
submitted to the board.
(2) If the
person seeking reinstatement does not meet the requirements established in
subsection (1) of this section, the board may conditionally reinstate
licensure, requiring the applicant to obtain required hours of continuing
education within six (6) months of the date on which licensure is
reinstated.
(3) The continuing
education hours received in compliance with this section for reinstatement
shall be in addition to the regular continuing education requirements
established in Section 1 of this administrative regulation and shall not be
used to comply with the requirements of that section.
Section 11. Incorporation by Reference.
(1) "Application for Continuing Education
Program Approval", 10/2011, form is incorporated by reference.
(2) This material may be inspected, copied,
or obtained, subject to applicable copyright law, at the Division of
Occupations and Professions, 911 Leawood Drive, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601,
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
STATUTORY AUTHORITY:
KRS
309.304(3),
309.314(7)
