<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<section article="gho" article_name="Health Occupations" number="11-309" title_number="11" title_name="Optometrists" subtitle_number="3">
  <level label="a">
    <text>In addition to any other qualifications and requirements established by the Board, the Board shall establish continuing education requirements as a condition to the renewal of licenses and certificates under this title.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The continuing education required by the Board shall be in courses approved by the Board.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The Board may not require a nontherapeutically certified optometrist to attend more than 50 hours in any licensing period.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The Board shall require a therapeutically certified optometrist to attend at least 50 hours of continuing education in a licensing period.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <level label="i">
        <text>In each licensing period, a therapeutically certified optometrist shall attend 30 hours of continuing education on the use and management of therapeutic pharmaceutical agents.</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>The 30 hours of continuing education required under subparagraph (i) of this paragraph shall be counted toward the total number of required hours of continuing education in a licensing period.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>At the time a licensee applies for license renewal, the licensee shall submit to the Board, on a form provided by the Board, a certification that the licensee has attended the required courses.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>The Board may refuse to renew the license of a licensee who has failed:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>To attend the required courses; or</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>To submit certification of attendance at the required courses.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>The Board may waive the continuing education requirements in cases of illness or other undue hardship on the licensee.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>The Board may use any funds allocated to it for continuing education as State funds to match federal funds for providing continuing education.</text>
  </level>
</section>
