These regulations establish continuing education requirements for licensed dietitians and licensed nutritionists in the State of Maryland. The objectives of these regulations are the: Maintenance of professional competency; and Improvement of professional skills. In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated. Terms Defined. “Continuing education” means additional professional education by means of academic course work, seminars, lectures, journal clubs, skills development, professional reading, independent learning, study groups, publications, research, professional presentations, case presentations, exhibits, posters, advanced certifications, and professional leadership or other forms of continuing professional education approved by the Board. “Continuing education unit” means a licensee's participation for 1 hour in an approved continuing education experience. “Renewal date” means the date upon which the license expires, as specified in the notice sent to the licensee by the Board in accordance with Health Occupations Article, §5-308(b), Annotated Code of Maryland. “Renewal period” means the 2-year period immediately before the renewal date. The Board shall renew a license for an additional 2-year period if the licensee: Otherwise is entitled to be licensed as set forth in COMAR 10.56.02; Pays to the Board the renewal fee as set forth in COMAR 10.56.02; and Submits to the Board: A renewal application on the form that the Board requires, and Satisfactory evidence of having completed, within the 2-year period before the renewal date, a minimum of 30 continuing education units approved by the Board or sponsored by, but not limited to, the following organizations: The Commission on Dietetic Registration, including approved Commission on Dietetic Registration Continuing Professional Education Providers; The Certification Board for Nutrition Specialists; The American College of Nutrition; American Society for Nutrition; The Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education; The Accreditation Council for Pharmaceutical Education; American Osteopathic Association; The Red Cross; United States Department of Agriculture, including, but not limited to, Agricultural Research Services; National Institutes of Health; Food and Drug Administration; Accredited colleges and universities; Accredited hospitals as defined in Health-General Article, §19-301, Annotated Code of Maryland; or The Maryland Department of Health. The licensee shall complete continuing education units relating to the practice of dietetics that foster improvement, advancement, and extension of the licensee's professional skill and knowledge relating to the practice of dietetics. Continuing education may include the categories listed in §§C—J of this regulation per each licensure renewal period. Category 1—Academic Course Work. In this category, continuing education may include: Graduate level academic course work from an accredited institution as defined in COMAR 10.56.01.02B(1) that will assist a licensee to carry out the licensee's professional responsibilities; and Not more than 15 hours of undergraduate course work that will assist a licensee to carry out the licensee's professional responsibilities, including but not limited to: Management courses; Foreign language training for translators of relevant texts; or Educational methodology for teachers of dietetic practice and nutrition. One semester hour of academic course work is equivalent to 15 continuing education units. One trimester hour is equivalent to 12 continuing education units. One quarter hour is equivalent to 10 continuing education units. The licensee shall submit documentation of a transcript indicating that the course was completed for credit. Category 2—Seminars, Lectures, Journal Clubs. This category may include seminars, workshops, journal clubs, or a Board-approved similar program, which shall be verified by any documentation requested by the Board. One hour of attendance is equivalent to 1 continuing education unit. Category 3—Skills Development. This category may not exceed more than 6 continuing education credits, including, but not limited to: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation certification; Culinary classes; Research methodology; and Anthropometry courses. Category 4—Professional Reading, Independent Learning, Study Groups. This category includes formalized professional reading, independent learning, and study groups, which shall be verified by any documentation requested by the Board and may not exceed 20 hours of continuing education credit. Category 5—Publications, Research, Professional Presentations, Case Presentations. This category may not exceed 15 hours for writing or editing publications, research, professional presentations, and case presentations, including, but not limited to: Books; Booklets; An original paper based on a licensee's research published in a professional peer-reviewed journal; An original technical article published in a professional journal; An abstract or book review; and Poster presentations. Category 6—Exhibits, Posters. This category may not exceed 12 hours of attending exhibits and viewing posters. Category 7—Initial Advanced Certifications. This category may include initial advanced certifications awarded during the first renewal as approved by the Commission on Dietetic Registration of the American Dietetic Association and the Certification Board for Nutrition Specialists. The Board shall consider advanced recertification under Category 2 as described in §D of this regulation. Category 8—Professional Leadership. This category may not exceed 6 hours of professional leadership, including, but not limited to, participation at professional association and regulatory board meetings. Category 9—Pro Bono Work. This category may not exceed 5 hours of pro bono work related to dietetic practice. Continuing education units may be earned for pro bono work at the rate of 1 continuing education unit for 1 hour of Board-approved pro bono work. The licensee shall provide to the Board a written application for approval of pro bono work. The application shall include: The location of the pro bono work; The type of work related to dietetic practice to be provided; The number of hours of actual work to be provided for which the licensee desires continuing education hours; A statement guaranteeing that the work provided no financial benefit to the licensee; and A description of how the work will enhance the licensee's ongoing education. Upon completion of the pro bono work, the licensee shall submit written documentation from the facility as evidence of completion of pro bono hours to the Board. Continuing education units may not be granted for work that did not receive prior approval from the Board. To obtain approval by the Board of programs and activities qualifying for continuing education units, the program's sponsor or the licensee shall complete and submit the appropriate form, along with any required supporting documentation, to the Board at the appropriate time as provided in this chapter. The required supporting documentation in §A of this regulation includes the following: For a program attended, signed certification by a program leader or instructor of the licensee's credit hours of participation in the program by certificate, letter on letterhead stationery of the sponsoring agency, or official continuing education validation form of the sponsoring agency; For publications, a copy of the title page and table of contents of a book or monograph, or a copy of a journal article; For completion of academic course work from an accredited institution as defined in COMAR 10.56.01.02B(1), an official transcript indicating that the course was taken and completed; and For a presentation, a copy of the text of the presentation. Prior Approval Programs. To obtain prior approval of a qualifying program, the program's sponsor shall submit the request for prior approval of the program to the Board at least 6 weeks before the date the program will be given. To obtain continuing education units for attending a program that has received the Board's prior approval, either the sponsor or the licensee shall document the licensee's attendance of the program. Subsequent Approval of Programs and Activities. When there has been no prior approval by the Board of the program or activity undertaken by the licensee for which the licensee seeks continuing education units, the licensee shall submit a request for approval of the program or activity to the Board, on the appropriate form, along with documentation which shows that the program meets the qualifications for continuing education credit and that the licensee attended the program. Extension of Time. A licensed dietitian-nutritionist shall file a request in writing with the Board for an extension of time within which to complete continuing education requirements before October 1 of the renewal year. The Board shall consider and render a decision on the request within 60 days of receiving the written request. The Board may grant an extension until January 31 of the following year and conditionally renew a license if the Board determines that: Failure to fulfill the requirements is clearly a result of illness or other circumstances beyond the control of the licensed dietitian-nutritionist; and The licensed dietitian-nutritionist readily and appropriately attempted to meet the requirements. Continuing education units earned after October 31 of the second year to fulfill the conditions of an extension may be credited only to the preceding 2-year period. The Board shall audit a licensed dietitian-nutritionist who has been granted an extension of time for the completion of continuing education requirements. If the Board determines that an applicant for licensure could not reasonably have anticipated the need for documentation of continuing education units at the time the work was completed, the Board may, in its discretion, consider any evidence produced by the applicant to substantiate that he has satisfied the requirements of Regulation .03 of this chapter. The Board shall place an active licensee on inactive status if the licensee: Submits to the Board an application for inactive status on the form required by the Board; and Pays to the Board the inactive status fee set by the Board under COMAR 10.56.02. The Board shall reactivate the license of an individual placed on inactive status if the individual: Demonstrates completion of 15 continuing education units for each year the license has lapsed; and Pays to the Board a reactivation fee as provided in COMAR 10.56.02. Within 1 Year of Failed Renewal. Within 1 calendar year after the renewal date, the Board shall reinstate the license of a dietitian or nutritionist whose license was not renewed due to failure to complete continuing education requirements, if the dietitian or nutritionist completes within that year all or the remaining balance of 30 continuing education units required during the prior renewal period. Continuing education units applied to reinstate are not counted again toward meeting the continuing education requirement of the renewal period in which the continuing education units are taken. After 1 Year of Failed Renewal. If a dietitian or nutritionist applies to reinstate the dietitian's or the nutritionist's license within 1 to 5 calendar years after the last renewal date, the dietitian or nutritionist shall demonstrate completion of 15 continuing education units for each year the license has lapsed. A dietitian or nutritionist who fails to apply for reinstatement of a license within 5 years after the expiration of the license may become licensed by meeting the requirements for obtaining an initial license as stated in COMAR 10.56.01. Health Occupations Article, §§5-205, 5-308(d), and 5-309, Annotated Code of Maryland Effective date: February 4, 1991 (18:2 Md. R. 150) Regulation .03B amended effective November 7, 1994 (21:22 Md. R. 1878) Regulation .05 amended effective November 7, 1994 (21:22 Md. R. 1878) Chapter revised effective June 26, 2000 (27:12 Md. R. 1141) Regulation .02B amended effective August 13, 2007 (34:16 Md. R. 1432) Regulation .03C amended effective August 13, 2007 (34:16 Md. R. 1432); March 12, 2018 (45:5 Md. R. 286) Regulation .04 amended effective August 13, 2007 (34:16 Md. R. 1432) Regulation .04K adopted effective October 19, 2009 (36:21 Md. R. 1592) Regulation .05E adopted effective October 19, 2009 (36:21 Md. R. 1592) Regulation .07 recodified to be Regulation .08 and new Regulation .07 adopted effective August 13, 2007 (34:16 Md. R. 1432)