The State legislature has determined that, in order to safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of the public, licensed landscape architects must comply with the continuing professional competency (CPC) requirements as a prerequisite for the renewal of a license. In this chapter, the following terms have the meaning indicated. Terms Defined. “ASLA” means the American Society of Landscape Architects. “ Board” means the State Board of Examiners of Landscape Architects. “College credit hour” means the credit for a course described in Regulation .04 of this chapter, offered by a university, college, or community college. “Continuing education standard activities” means traditional continuing education course work presented to students by an instructor in an in-person or virtual classroom format. “Continuing education alternative activities” means work that qualifies under this chapter for continuing professional competency credits that is not traditional continuing education course work presented to students by an instructor in an in-person or virtual classroom format. “Health, safety, and welfare (HSW) subjects” means content areas identified as such by Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System as those content areas may be updated or otherwise amended from time to time. “LACES” means Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System. “Professional development hour (PDH)” means a minimum of 50 minutes of face-to-face or distance learning instruction per 60-minute hour. “Qualifying activities” means professional development activities which qualify for PDH credit by meeting the following requirements: Meet the criteria set forth in Regulation .04 of this chapter; and Are approved and accepted for credit by LACES or the Board. A licensee shall complete, as a condition of a license renewal in each individual 2-year-renewal cycle, a minimum of 24 PDHs . The 24 PDHs shall consist of a minimum of 16 PDHs in continuing education standard activities and a maximum of 8 PDHs in continuing education alternative activities. Of the 16 PDH continuing education standard activities, 8 PDHs shall be HSW-focused. A licensee may not be eligible to earn PDHs for a professional development activity that has not been approved for credit by LACES or the Board. In order for an activity to be considered a qualifying continuing education standard activity or continuing education alternative activity, the activity shall meet the following criteria: Maintain, improve, or expand the skills and knowledge relevant to the practice of landscape architecture; Research, analysis, assessment, conservation, preservation, and enhancement of land use; Selection and allocation of cultural, historic, and natural resources; Laws and regulations applicable to the practice of landscape architecture in Maryland; Standards of practice or care applicable to the practice of landscape architecture; or Professional ethics as applicable to the practice of landscape architecture. Qualifying continuing education standard activities include completing traditional continuing education course work that meets the requirements of §A of this regulation as well as the criteria below: Maintain and enhance professional competency; Foster improvement, advancement, and extension of professional skills and knowledge related to the practice of landscape architecture; Offer learning experiences relevant to current landscape architectural practices or those that relate to the public health, safety, and welfare; Be presented in a systematic manner that clearly defines learning objectives; and Be led or taught at a professional level by well-qualified professionals in a learning environment conducive to learning and appropriate for accomplishing learning objectives described in these regulations. Qualifying continuing education alternative activities include participating in one of the following, provided it meets the requirements of §A of this regulation: Authorship of original published work, including books, articles, papers, or documents, or other media types at the discretion of the Board; Enrollment in and completion of a related, for-credit course at a university, college, or community college; Professional development work or professional or technical presentations made on matters related to landscape architecture at meetings, conventions, or conferences; or Other appropriate activities that may from time to time be approved by the Board. Activities that do not meet the criteria set forth in Regulation .04 of this chapter shall be considered to be nonqualifying activities, including, but not limited to, the following: Regular employment as a licensed landscape architect or teacher or serving as an expert witness; Repetitive completion of the same courses or programs without substantial modifications or updates; Attending trainings or seminars related to time management techniques and strategies; Attending committee meetings or general business meetings of any organizations; and Other activities that, in the Board’s opinion, are not directly related to the practice of landscape architecture. A licensee may earn PDHs through participation in continuing education standard activities by attending and successfully completing traditional continuing education courses that meet the requirements of Regulation .04 of this chapter. PDH credit may be claimed only once for a particular course. A licensee shall apply to the Board for approval of PDHs through participation in continuing education alternative activities in accordance with Regulation .04 of this chapter under the following conversion schedule: Credited contribution to a print or digital publication of original work published in a periodical recognized by the Board, with a maximum of 3 PDHs applied for upon publication. Credited contribution to an original book, with a maximum of 5 PDHs applied for upon publication. Enrollment in and completion of a related, for-credit course at a university, college, or community college, with 1 PDH applied for upon completion of 1 college credit hour with a maximum of 3 total PDHs per for-credit course. Teach a traditional continuing education course, as follows: A maximum of two times the number of PDHs awarded under §A of this regulation for the taking of the course may be applied for. A licensee may only apply for this credit for the first time the traditional course is taught. The final determination of value, sources, and number of credits is within the discretion of the Board. Entities or individuals, including, but not limited to, professional firms conducting in-house presentations, may submit a specific professional development activity for review and approval by the Board. During the application process, the Board or the Board’s designee will evaluate the suitability of the activity and the qualifications of presenter. The presenter shall submit adequate information to enable the Board or the Board’s designee to evaluate the professional development activity. At a minimum, the Board requires the following information to be submitted with each application for approval: The types and descriptions of proposed or existing programs intended to be offered; The number of PDHs to be awarded for each activity; and The identity and qualifications of the instructors. The Board may require presenters to document the offered activities for audit The Board may suspend or revoke its approval of an activity if, in the judgment of the Board, the intent of Business Occupations and Professions Article, §9-309, Annotated Code of Maryland, is no longer served or a presenter materially changed the content of the activity without the prior written approval of the Board. Responsibility to Maintain Records. The responsibility of maintaining records to be used to support the continuing professional competency credit claim is the responsibility of each licensee. A licensee shall maintain the records for a period of at least 4 years from the date of completion of the qualifying activity. Documentation referred to in §A(2) of this regulation, includes, but is not limited to, the following: Certificates of participation; Transcripts; or Any other appropriate evidence acceptable to the Board. A licensee shall attest to the satisfactory completion of the CPC requirements set forth in this chapter before the licensee’s license expiration date. The Board at its discretion may audit licensees to ascertain compliance with CPC requirements. Licensees who are audited shall provide within 30 days of receipt of electronic notice of audit from the Board any additional documentation required by the Board to complete the audit. Exemptions. Notwithstanding other requirements set forth in this chapter, a licensee may renew a license for the next full term without complying with the CPC requirements if: A licensee has been granted an initial license and is renewing a license for the next full term; or A licensee qualifies under the criteria set forth in Title 2.5, Business Regulation Article, Annotated Code of Maryland. Compliance Exception Request. If a licensee is unable to comply with all or part of CPC requirements due to physical disability, illness, or other extenuating circumstances, the licensee may request the Board or the Board’s administrative designee to grant a one-time exception from compliance, provided that the request is filed with the Board or the Board’s administrative designee prior to the licensee’s license expiration date. If the request is based on physical disability or illness, the licensee must provide the Board or the Board’s administrative designee with a written documentation acceptable to the Board supporting the basis for the request. The request must be accompanied by a detailed proposal acceptable to the Board indicating a licensee’s intended plan of compliance with the CPC requirements within no later than 6 months after the license expiration date. Failure to provide the acceptable plan of compliance within the time period specified in this regulation may result in the Board’s administrative dismissal of the request. In the event a licensee fails to comply with the CPC requirements set forth in this chapter, the Board, subject to the hearing provisions of Business Occupations and Professions Article, §9–312, Annotated Code of Maryland, may take any and all available disciplinary actions under Business Occupations and Professions Article, §9–310, Annotated Code of Maryland. A licensee who wishes to reinstate a license shall fulfill past due CPC requirements for the immediately preceding CPC reporting periods up to 48 PDHs and pay all applicable fees. The Board will accept CPC units earned for activities completed in other jurisdictions, provided that: The activity has been approved by a licensing board in another jurisdiction; and The licensee otherwise fulfills all other applicable license renewal requirements in the State of Maryland. Business Occupations and Professions Article §9-309, Annotated Code of Maryland Effective date: February 12, 2018 (45:3 Md. R. 156) Regulation.01 amended effective August 7, 2023 (50:15 Md. R. 681) Regulation.02B amended effective August 7, 2023 (50:15 Md. R. 681) Regulation.03 amended effective August 7, 2023 (50:15 Md. R. 681) Regulation.04 amended effective August 7, 2023 (50:15 Md. R. 681) Regulation.05 amended effective August 7, 2023 (50:15 Md. R. 681) Regulation.06 amended effective August 7, 2023 (50:15 Md. R. 681) Regulation.08C repealed effective August 7, 2023 (50:15 Md. R. 681)