Louisiana Administrative Code
Title 46 - PROFESSIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS
Part LXII - Professional Geoscientists
Chapter 13 - Continuing Education Program (CEP)
Section LXII-1301 - Requirements

Universal Citation: LA Admin Code LXII-1301

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 9, September 20, 2024

A. Each license holder shall meet the continuing education program (CEP) requirements for professional development by earning professional development credit hours (PDH) as a condition for license renewal.

1. Every P. G. license holder is required to obtain 15 PDH hours of continuing education credit per year for license renewal.

2. A minimum of one PDH hour per renewal period must be in the area of professional ethics, roles and responsibilities of professional geoscientists.

3. If a license holder exceeds the annual requirement in any renewal period, a maximum of 30 PDH hours may be carried forward into subsequent renewal periods, but not beyond three years. Credits earned more than three years prior to the renewal year will not be accepted for fulfilling continuing education requirements.

B. Definition of Terms. Terms used in this Section are as follows.

Accredited Continuing Education Unit (ACEU)-unit of credit customarily used for ACEU. One ACEU equals 10 hours (10 PDH) of class in the accredited continuing education course.

College Semester Hour (CSH)/College Quarter Hour (CQH)-credit for a college course in a discipline of geoscience or other related technical elective of the discipline. One CSH equals 15 hours (15 PDH) of class in a college semester course. One CQH equals 10 hours (10 PDH) of class in a college quarter course.

Continuing Education Course/Activity (CECA)-any course/activity with a clear purpose and objective which will maintain, improve, or expand the skills and knowledge relevant to the license holder's field of practice. One CECA hour equals one PDH.

Professional Development Hour (PDH)-a contact hour (clock hour) of CEP activity. The PDH is the basic unit for CEP reporting. One hour equals one PDH.

C. Earned Credits

1. All activities described in this Subsection shall be relevant to the practice of a discipline of geoscience and may include technical, ethical, or managerial content. The following activities will earn PDH credits pending board approval at the time of audit:
a. successful completion, auditing or teaching/instructing of college credit courses (CSH/CQH). Credit for college or community college approved courses will be based upon course credit established by the college;

b. successful completion or teaching/instructing of continuing education courses (ACEU or CECA), either

offered by a professional or trade organization, university or college, or offered in-house by a corporation, other business entity, professional or technical societies, associations, agencies, or organizations, or other group;

c. successful completion or teaching/instructing of correspondence, on-line, televised, videotaped, and other short courses/tutorials (CSH/CQH, ACEU or CECA);

d. registered attendance or teaching/instructing of seminars, courses, workshops, or professional or technical presentations made at meetings, conventions, or conferences sponsored by a corporation, other business entity, professional or technical societies, associations, agencies, or organizations, or other group (CECA).
i. Credit for qualifying seminars, short courses and workshops will be based on one PDH credit for each hour of attendance.

ii. Attendance at qualifying programs presented at professional and/or technical society meetings will earn PDH credits for the actual time of each program.

iii. A maximum of 12 PDH credits can be earned at society meetings each renewal period.

2. Teaching or instructing as listed in Paragraphs 1-4 of this Subsection will earn triple PDH credits. Teaching credit is valid for teaching a course or seminar for the first time only.

3. Authoring (as lead author) Published Papers, Articles, Books, or Accepted Licensing Examination Items. Credit determination for authorship as described in this subsection is the responsibility of the license holder and subject to review as required by the board. Maximum 10 PDH per paper and 45 PDH per book.

4. Active Participation (CECA) in Professional or Technical Societies, Associations, Agencies, or Organizations in Activities such as those Described Below. PDH credits are not earned until the end of each year of service is completed. Maximum of five PDH per renewal period:
a. serving as an elected or appointed official of the organization;

b. serving and actively participating on a committee of the organization; or

c. serving in other official positions such as making or attending a presentation at a meeting or writing a paper presented at a meeting.

5. Engaging in Self-Directed Course Work (ACEU or CECA). Credit determination for self-directed course work is the responsibility of the license holder and subject to review as required by the board. Credit for self-directed course work will be based on one PDH credit for each hour of study and is not to exceed five PDH per renewal period.

6. Patents issued-maximum 15 PDH per patent.

7. Software programs published-maximum 15 PDH per program.

D. Determination of Credit

1. The board shall be the final authority with respect to whether a course or activity meets the requirements of this Chapter

2. It is the responsibility of each license holder to use his/her best professional judgment by reading and utilizing the rules and regulations to determine whether all PDH credits claimed and activities being considered meet the continuing education requirement. However, a course provider may contact the board for an opinion for whether or not a course or technical presentation would meet the CEP requirements.

E. Record Keeping

1. The license holder is responsible for maintaining records to be used to support credits claimed. CEP records for each license holder must be maintained for a period of three years by the license holder. Records required include, but are not limited to:
a. a log, on a form provided by the board, showing the type of activity claimed, the sponsoring organization, location, duration, instructor's or speaker's name, and PDH credits claimed; and

b. attendance verification records in the form of completion certificates, receipts, attendance roster, or other documents supporting evidence of attendance.

F. CEP Audit

1. The records for each license holder are subject to audit by the board or its authorized representative.
a. The license holder must submit CEP certification on the log form provided by the board and a list of each activity, date, and hours claimed that satisfy the CEP requirement for that renewal year when audited. A percentage of the licenses will be randomly audited each year.

b. Copies must be furnished, if requested, to the board or its authorized representative for audit verification purposes.

c. If upon auditing a license holder, the board finds that the activities cited do not fall within the bounds of educational, technical, ethical, or professional management activities related to the practice of geoscience; the board may require the license holder to acquire additional PDH credits as needed to fulfill the minimum CEP requirements before said license will be renewed.

G. Exemptions

1. A license holder may be exempt from the professional development educational requirements for one of the following reasons.
a. A license holder serving on active duty and deployed outside the United States, its possessions and territories, in or for the military service of the United States for a period of time exceeding 120 consecutive days in a year shall be exempt from obtaining the professional development hours required during that year.

b. A license holder employed outside the United States, its possessions and territories, actively engaged in the practice of geoscience for a period of time exceeding 300 consecutive days in a year shall be exempt from obtaining the professional development hours required during that year except for five hours of self-directed course work.

c. License holders experiencing long term physical disability or illness may be exempt. Supporting documentation must be furnished to the board.

H. Noncompliance

1. If a license holder does not certify that CEP requirements have been met for a renewal period, the license shall be considered expired and subject to late fees and penalties.

2. A license holder may bring an expired license to active status by obtaining all delinquent PDH units. However, if the total number required to become current exceeds 30 units, then 30 units shall be the maximum number required.

3. A determination by audit that CEP requirements have been falsely reported shall be considered to be misconduct and will subject the license holder to disciplinary action.

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 37:711.8(C)(1) and R.S. 37:711.2.

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