Section 18.709. Continuing education for genetic counselors

(a) Credit hour requirements. A genetic counselor shall satisfy the following continuing education credit hour requirements:

(1) As a condition for biennial registration, a genetic counselor shall complete at least 30 hours of continuing education applicable to the practice of genetic counseling. Credit will not be given for a course in office management or practice building. A genetic counselor is not required to complete continuing education during the biennium in which the genetic counselor was first licensed if licensure occurred within 3 years of completion of the degree.

(2) Except when reactivating an inactive license, when the Board has granted a waiver, or when ordered by the Board, continuing education credits may be used to satisfy the continuing education credit hour requirements only for the biennial period in which the credits were earned. An hour of continuing education may not be used to satisfy the requirement of paragraph (1) for more than one biennium.

(3) A genetic counselor may request a waiver of the continuing education credit hour requirements because of serious illness, military service or other demonstrated hardship by submitting a request for waiver with the supporting documentation to the Board at least 90 days prior to the end of the biennial registration period for which the waiver is sought. The Board may grant the waiver request in whole or in part and may extend the deadline by which the credit hour requirements shall be met.

(4) A genetic counselor may be subject to disciplinary sanction as provided in section 41 of the act (63 P. S. § 422.41), including the suspension or revocation of the license, imposition of a civil penalty or other corrective measure as determined by the Board, if the licensee either submits false information to the Board regarding completion of the continuing education credit hour requirements to complete biennial registration, or fails to complete the continuing education hour requirements and practices as a genetic counselor after the end of the biennial period.

(b) Continuing education activities. Credit for continuing education may be earned for activities approved by the ABGC or the NSGC.

(c) Documentation of continuing education. Continuing education shall be documented with a certificate of attendance or completion issued by the activity provider. The certificate must include the name of the course provider, the name and date of the course, the name of the licensee, the number of credit hours based on a 50-minute hour, and the category of continuing education, if applicable.

Notation

Cross References

This section cited in 49 Pa. Code § 18.706 (relating to biennial registration of genetic counselor license); and 49 Pa. Code § 18.707 (relating to inactive status of genetic counselor license; reactivation of inactive license).