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<regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".05" citation="COMAR 10.26.02.05" title_num="10" subtitle_num="26" chapter_num="02" heading="Term, Renewal, Reinstatement, and Inactive Status.">
  <paragraph num="A.">
    <text>Unless renewed, the term of a license is valid through the expiration date.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="B.">
    <text>Renewal.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>At least 1 month before a license expires, the Board shall send to the licensee a renewal notice that states the:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Date on which the current license expires;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Date by which the renewal application is to be received by the Board for the renewal to be issued and mailed before the license expires; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Amount of the renewal fee.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Before a license expires, the licensee may renew if the licensee:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Submits to the Board a completed renewal application in the format required by the Board along with documentation that the licensee meets the requirements for a license;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Pays the renewal fee specified in COMAR 10.26.01.03; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>If requested, submits to the Board documentation that the licensee has complied with the continuing education requirements established under COMAR 10.26.06.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>A licensee shall keep the Board apprised of the licensee's current address and telephone number or shall pay a fee as specified in COMAR 10.26.01.03.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="C.">
    <text>A licensee has a grace period of 30 days after the licensee's license expires to renew retroactively if the licensee:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Otherwise is entitled to have the license renewed; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Pays to the Board the renewal fee and late fee set by the Board.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="D.">
    <text>If the applicant’s license expires, an applicant may not practice acupuncture in the State until the renewal application is approved by the Board.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="E.">
    <text>Reinstatement. Thirty-one days after the expiration date of a license, a licensee whose license has expired without seeking inactive status may have the license reinstated upon meeting all of the following:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Submission of a completed reinstatement application in the format required by the Board;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Payment of the reinstatement fee, and renewal fee, specified in COMAR 10.26.01.03; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>One of the following:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Thirty hours of continuing education within the 2 years that are most recent to the requested reinstatement date; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Passage of the acupuncture exam given by the NCCAOM within 4 years from the date of reinstatement.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="F.">
    <text>Inactive Status.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>The Board shall place a licensee on inactive status for a maximum period of 6 years if the licensee submits to the Board within 30 days after the expiration of a license:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>An application for inactive status in the format required by the Board; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>The inactive status application fee specified in COMAR 10.26.01.03.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>To reactivate a license from inactive status, the applicant shall:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Satisfy the renewal requirements in §B(2)(a) and (b) of this regulation that exist at the time the individual changes from inactive to active status; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Complete 30 hours of continuing education as specified under COMAR 10.26.06.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>The licensee shall renew inactive status every 2 years, but not to exceed 6 years, in the format required by the Board and pay the fee as set forth in COMAR 10.26.01.03.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="G.">
    <text>Continuing Education.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>A licensee applying for renewal shall complete 30 hours of relevant continuing education during the 2-year period preceding the expiration of the license which include the following:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>At least 20 hours in formally organized programs which are relevant to the practice of acupuncture and Oriental medicine and are approved by the Board or sponsored by, but not limited to, the following organizations and their member organizations:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>American Academy of Medical Acupuncture;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AAAOM);</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iii)">
          <text>Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (CCAOM);</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iv)">
          <text>Colleges and universities accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM);</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(v)">
          <text>National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM);</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(vi)">
          <text>Society for Acupuncture Research; or</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(vii)">
          <text>The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association;</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Not more than 10 hours of formally organized training programs in Western science and medical practices, medical ethics, medical research, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation which are relevant to the practice of acupuncture and are sponsored by, but not limited to, organizations listed in §F(1)(a) of this regulation and the following organizations:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>World Health Organization (WHO);</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>National Institutes of Health (NIH);</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iii)">
          <text>American Medical Association (AMA);</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iv)">
          <text>American Nurses Association (ANA);</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(v)">
          <text>American Psychiatric Association (APA);</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(vi)">
          <text>Red Cross;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(vii)">
          <text>Local colleges; or</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(viii)">
          <text>Local hospitals;</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Not more than 10 hours of training in approved programs which will assist a licensee to carry out the licensee's professional responsibilities, including, but not limited to:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>Management courses for a school administrator;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>Foreign language training for translators of relevant texts;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iii)">
          <text>Educational methodology for teachers of acupuncture;</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>Not more than 10 hours teaching acupuncture and related Oriental medical therapies in an accredited school or in a program approved for acupuncture continuing education;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(e)">
        <text>Not more than 7 hours of pro bono work as outlined in §F(3) of this regulation; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(f)">
        <text>Not more than 7 hours in published writing or articles in acupuncture and Oriental medicine that are:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>Peer-reviewed research or peer-reviewed clinically relevant articles in acupuncture and Oriental medicine; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>Limited to 4 hours per article.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Pro Bono Work.</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Pro bono work shall earn 1 credit hour for each 3 hours of pro bono activity up to a maximum of 7 credit hours per renewal cycle.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Pro bono work shall be for the provision of acupuncture services provided through an organization offering humanitarian services such as, but not limited to:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>Domestic or international victims in an emergency situation or disaster area;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>Low income or underserved areas or populations;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iii)">
          <text>Special needs populations; or</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iv)">
          <text>United States military personnel.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Upon completion of the pro bono work, the licensee shall obtain from the facility written documentation of completion of pro bono hours including:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>The name of the facility;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>The address where the pro bono work was provided;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iii)">
          <text>The type of work that was done;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iv)">
          <text>The number of hours of actual work provided for which the licensee desires credit hours; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(v)">
          <text>A statement guaranteeing that the work provided no financial benefit to licensee.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Licensees shall maintain the documentation of their continuing education credits for 4 years from the date of their acupuncture renewal.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>If requested by the Board, a licensee shall provide proof of continuing education attendance by providing documentation of:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Name of the program;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Date of the program;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Number of continuing education hours earned; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>Name of the sponsoring organization.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="H.">
    <text>Change of Mailing Address, Legal Name, or Email Address.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>A licensee shall give the Board written notice within 30 days of a change of:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Mailing address;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Legal name; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Email address if the licensee has previously submitted an email address to the Board.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Failure to notify the Board of any change of mailing address, legal name, or email address within 30 days of the change may result in a fee as set forth under COMAR 10.26.01.03.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
</regulation>