Subdivision 1. General requirements. (a) A licensed occupational therapist must obtain a minimum of 24 contact hours of continuing education in the two-year licensure period. A licensed occupational therapy assistant must obtain a minimum of 18 contact hours of continuing education in the two-year licensure period. All continuing education coursework must be obtained between the effective and expiration dates of the license. Licensees who are issued licenses for a period of less than two years must obtain a prorated number of contact hours required for licensure renewal based on the number of months licensed during the two-year licensure period.
(b) Each licensee is responsible for financing the cost of the licensee's continuing education activities.
Subd. 2. Standards for determining qualified continuing education activities. (a) To be accepted by the board, activities must be related to a licensee's current or anticipated roles and responsibilities as an occupational therapy practitioner and must directly or indirectly serve to protect the public by enhancing the licensee's continuing competence.
(b) Except as provided in subdivision 3, paragraph (d), in order to qualify as a continuing education activity, the activity must:
(1) constitute an organized program of learning;
(2) reasonably be expected to advance the knowledge and skills of the occupational therapy practitioner;
(3) be conducted by a sponsor approved by the American Occupational Therapy Association or by individuals who have education, training, and experience by reason of which the individuals should be considered experts on the subject matter of the activity; and
(4) be presented by a sponsor who has a mechanism to verify participation and maintains attendance records for a minimum of three years.
Subd. 3. Activities qualifying for continuing education contact hours. (a) The activities in this subdivision qualify for continuing education contact hours if they meet all other requirements of this section.
(b) A minimum of one-half of the required contact hours must be directly related to occupational therapy practice. The remaining contact hours may be related to occupational therapy practice, the delivery of occupational therapy services, or to the practitioner's current professional role.
(c) A licensee may obtain an unlimited number of contact hours in any two-year continuing education period through participation in the following:
(1) attendance at educational programs of annual conferences, lectures, panel discussions, workshops, in-service training, seminars, and symposiums;
(2) successful completion of college or university courses. The licensee must obtain a grade of at least a "C" or a pass in a pass/fail course in order to receive credit. One college credit equals six continuing education contact hours; or
(3) successful completion of home study courses that require the participant to demonstrate the participant's knowledge following completion of the course.
(d) A licensee may obtain a maximum of one-half of the required contact hours in any two-year continuing education period for:
(1) teaching continuing education or occupational therapy related courses that meet the requirements of this section. A licensee is entitled to earn a maximum of two contact hours as preparation time for each contact hour of presentation time. Contact hours may be claimed only once for teaching the same course in any two-year continuing education period. A course schedule or brochure must be maintained for audit;
(2) supervising occupational therapist or occupational therapy assistant students. A licensee may earn one contact hour for every eight hours of student supervision. Licensees must ensure they receive documentation regarding each student supervised and the dates and hours each student was supervised. Contact hours obtained by student supervision must be obtained by supervising students from an occupational therapy education program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education;
(3) teaching or participating in courses related to leisure activities, recreational activities, or hobbies if the practitioner uses these interventions within the practitioner's current practice or employment; and
(4) engaging in research activities or outcome studies that are related to the practice of occupational therapy and associated with grants, postgraduate studies, or publications in professional journals or books.
(e) A licensee may obtain a maximum of two contact hours in any two-year continuing education period for continuing education activities in the following areas:
(1) personal skill topics: career burnout, communication skills, human relations, and similar topics;
(2) training that is obtained in conjunction with a licensee's employment, occurs during a licensee's normal workday, and does not include subject matter specific to the fundamentals of occupational therapy; and
(3) participation for a minimum of one year on a professional committee or board.
Subd. 4. Activities not qualifying for continuing education contact hours. Credit must not be granted for the following activities: hospital rounds, entertainment or recreational activities, noneducational association meetings, and employment orientation sessions.
Subd. 5. Reporting continuing education contact hours. Each licensee must use the continuing education reporting form to verify meeting the continuing education requirements of this section. The licensee must maintain documentation, including but not limited to a signed certificate, transcript, or similar evidence of participation in an activity. The documentation must include a:
(1) title of the continuing education activity;
(2) brief description of the continuing education activity prepared by the presenter or sponsor;
(3) sponsor, presenter, or author;
(4) location and attendance dates;
(5) number of contact hours; and
(6) licensee's name.
Subd. 6. Auditing continuing education reports. (a) The board may audit a percentage of the continuing education reports based on random selection. A licensee shall maintain all documentation required by this section for two years after the last day of the biennial licensure period in which the contact hours were earned.
(b) All renewal applications that are received after the expiration date may be subject to a continuing education report audit.
(c) Any licensee against whom a complaint is filed may be subject to a continuing education report audit.
(d) The licensee shall make the following information available to the board for auditing purposes:
(1) a copy of the completed continuing education reporting form for the continuing education reporting period that is the subject of the audit including all supporting documentation required by subdivision 5;
(2) documentation of university, college, or vocational school courses by a transcript and a course syllabus, listing in a course bulletin, or equivalent documentation that includes the course title, instructor's name, course dates, number of contact hours, and course content, objectives, or goals; and
(3) verification of attendance by:
(i) a signature of the presenter or a designee at the continuing education activity on the continuing education report form or a certificate of attendance with the course name, course date, and licensee's name;
(ii) a summary or outline of the educational content of an audio or video educational activity to verify the licensee's participation in the activity if a designee is not available to sign the continuing education report form; or
(iii) verification of self-study programs by a certificate of completion or other documentation indicating that the individual has demonstrated knowledge and has successfully completed the program.
Subd. 7. Waiver of continuing education requirements. The board may waive or defer all or part of the continuing education requirements of this section if the licensee submits a written request and provides satisfactory evidence to the board of illness, injury, financial hardship, family hardship, or other similar extenuating circumstances that preclude completion of the requirements during the licensure period. The request for a waiver must be in writing, state the circumstances that constitute hardship, state the period of time the licensee wishes to have the continuing education requirement waived, and state the alternative measures that will be taken if a waiver is granted. The board must set forth, in writing, the reasons for granting or denying the waiver. Waivers granted by the board must specify, in writing, the time limitation and required alternative measures to be taken by the licensee. A request for waiver must be denied if the board finds that the circumstances stated by the licensee do not support a claim of hardship, the requested time period for waiver is unreasonable, the alternative measures proposed by the licensee are not equivalent to the continuing education activity being waived, or the request for waiver is not submitted to the board within 60 calendar days of the expiration date.
Subd. 8. Penalties for noncompliance. The board shall refuse to renew or grant, or shall suspend, condition, limit, or qualify the license of any person who the board determines has failed to comply with the continuing education requirements of this section. A licensee may request reconsideration of the board's determination of noncompliance or the penalty imposed under this section by making a written request to the board within 30 calendar days of the date of notification to the applicant. Individuals requesting reconsideration may submit information that the licensee wants considered in the reconsideration.
2000 c 361 s 20; 2004 c 279 art 1 s 23,24; 2006 c 267 art 2 s 11-13; 2008 c 189 s 17,18; 1Sp2017 c 6 art 11 s 24-27; 2019 c 50 art 1 s 49; 2020 c 79 art 2 s 21; 2022 c 55 art 1 s 41
Structure Minnesota Statutes
Chapter 148 — Public Health Occupations
Section 148.01 — Chiropractic.
Section 148.02 — Chiropractors; State Board Of Examiners.
Section 148.031 — Continuing Education.
Section 148.032 — Registration In Animal Chiropractic Diagnosis And Treatment.
Section 148.033 — Animal Chiropractic Continuing Education Hours.
Section 148.035 — Separate Treatment Room Required.
Section 148.05 — License And Fee.
Section 148.06 — Application; Examination; License; Fee.
Section 148.07 — Renewal Fees; Expenses.
Section 148.09 — Independent Examination.
Section 148.10 — Licenses Revoked; New Licenses.
Section 148.102 — Reports Of State Or Local Societies.
Section 148.103 — Immunity For Reporting Or Investigating.
Section 148.104 — Cooperation During Investigations.
Section 148.106 — Peer Review Of Services And Fees.
Section 148.107 — Record Keeping.
Section 148.171 — Definitions; Title.
Section 148.181 — Board Of Nursing Membership, Vacancies, Disclosure.
Section 148.191 — Officers; Staff; Powers.
Section 148.212 — Temporary Permit.
Section 148.231 — Registration; Failure To Register; Reregistration; Verification.
Section 148.233 — Identification Of Certified Registered Nurses.
Section 148.234 — State Boundaries Consideration.
Section 148.235 — Prescribing Drugs And Therapeutic Devices.
Section 148.243 — Fee Amounts.
Section 148.251 — Nursing Program.
Section 148.261 — Grounds For Disciplinary Action.
Section 148.263 — Reporting Obligations.
Section 148.265 — Nurse Cooperation.
Section 148.266 — Disciplinary Record On Judicial Review.
Section 148.267 — Reports To Commissioner Of Health.
Section 148.281 — Violations; Penalty.
Section 148.285 — Transfer Of Assets.
Section 148.512 — Definitions.
Section 148.513 — Licensure; Protected Titles And Restrictions On Use; Exemptions.
Section 148.514 — General Licensure Requirements; Procedures And Qualifications.
Section 148.515 — Qualifications For Licensure.
Section 148.516 — Licensure By Equivalency.
Section 148.5161 — Clinical Fellowship Licensure Or Doctoral Externship Licensure.
Section 148.517 — Licensure By Reciprocity.
Section 148.5175 — Temporary Licensure.
Section 148.518 — Licensure Following Lapse Of Licensure Status.
Section 148.519 — Licensure Procedures.
Section 148.5191 — Licensure Renewal.
Section 148.5192 — Speech-language Pathology Assistants.
Section 148.5193 — Continuing Education Requirements.
Section 148.5195 — Investigation Process And Grounds For Disciplinary Action.
Section 148.5196 — Speech-language Pathologist And Audiologist Advisory Council.
Section 148.5197 — Hearing Aid Dispensing.
Section 148.5198 — Restriction On Sale Of Hearing Aids.
Section 148.52 — Board Of Optometry.
Section 148.53 — Powers Of Board.
Section 148.56 — Optometrists.
Section 148.574 — Prohibitions Relating To Legend Drugs.
Section 148.575 — Certificate Required For Use Of Legend Drugs.
Section 148.577 — Standard Of Care.
Section 148.59 — License Renewal; License And Registration Fees.
Section 148.595 — Temporary Military Permit; Fee.
Section 148.603 — Grounds For Disciplinary Action.
Section 148.604 — Reporting Obligations.
Section 148.606 — Optometrist Cooperation.
Section 148.607 — Disciplinary Actions.
Section 148.621 — Definitions.
Section 148.622 — Board Of Dietetics And Nutrition Practice.
Section 148.623 — Duties Of The Board.
Section 148.624 — Licensure; Renewal.
Section 148.625 — Application.
Section 148.626 — Continuing Education Required.
Section 148.628 — Reciprocity.
Section 148.629 — Denial, Suspension, Or Revocation.
Section 148.630 — License Required.
Section 148.632 — Exemptions; Voluntary Licensing.
Section 148.633 — Disposition Of Funds.
Section 148.634 — Prescription Protocol.
Section 148.6402 — Definitions.
Section 148.6403 — Licensure; Protected Titles And Restrictions On Use; Exempt Persons; Sanctions.
Section 148.6404 — Scope Of Practice.
Section 148.6405 — Licensure Application Requirements: Procedures And Qualifications.
Section 148.6408 — Qualifications For Occupational Therapist.
Section 148.6410 — Qualifications For Occupational Therapy Assistants.
Section 148.6412 — Licensure By Equivalency.
Section 148.6415 — Licensure By Reciprocity.
Section 148.6418 — Temporary Licensure.
Section 148.6420 — Application Requirements.
Section 148.6423 — Licensure Renewal.
Section 148.6425 — Renewal Of Licensure; After Expiration Date.
Section 148.6428 — Change Of Contact Information Or Employment.
Section 148.6430 — Delegation Of Duties; Assignment Of Tasks.
Section 148.6432 — Supervision Of Occupational Therapy Assistants.
Section 148.6435 — Coordination Of Services.
Section 148.6438 — Recipient Notification.
Section 148.6443 — Continuing Education Requirements.
Section 148.6449 — Board Of Occupational Therapy Practice.
Section 148.66 — State Board Of Physical Therapy, Duties.
Section 148.67 — State Board Of Physical Therapy; Membership Appointments, Vacancies, Removals.
Section 148.691 — Officers; Executive Director.
Section 148.70 — Applicants, Qualifications.
Section 148.705 — Application.
Section 148.706 — Physical Therapist Assistants, Aides, And Students.
Section 148.71 — Temporary Permits.
Section 148.721 — Educational Requirements For Licensed Physical Therapist.
Section 148.722 — Educational Requirements For Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant.
Section 148.723 — Examination For Licensed Physical Therapist.
Section 148.724 — Examination For Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant.
Section 148.725 — Requirements For Foreign-educated Applicants.
Section 148.735 — Cancellation Of License In Good Standing.
Section 148.736 — Cancellation Of Credentials Under Disciplinary Order.
Section 148.737 — Cancellation Of License For Nonrenewal.
Section 148.741 — Applicability Of Rules.
Section 148.75 — Disciplinary Action.
Section 148.754 — Examination; Access To Medical Data.
Section 148.755 — Temporary Suspension Of License.
Section 148.76 — Prohibited Conduct.
Section 148.78 — Prosecution, Allegations.
Section 148.7802 — Definitions.
Section 148.7803 — Prohibited Practice Or Use Of Titles; Penalty.
Section 148.7804 — Powers Of The Board.
Section 148.7805 — Athletic Trainers Advisory Council.
Section 148.7806 — Athletic Training.
Section 148.7807 — Limitations On Practice.
Section 148.7808 — Licensure; Requirements.
Section 148.7809 — License Renewal.
Section 148.7810 — Board Action On Applications.
Section 148.7811 — Change Of Address.
Section 148.7812 — Continuing Education Requirements.
Section 148.7813 — Disciplinary Process.
Section 148.7814 — Applicability.
Section 148.881 — Declaration Of Policy.
Section 148.90 — Board Of Psychology.
Section 148.905 — Duties Of The Board.
Section 148.9051 — Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact (psypact).
Section 148.907 — Licensed Psychologist.
Section 148.9075 — Exemptions To License Requirement.
Section 148.9077 — Relicensure.
Section 148.909 — Licensure For Volunteer Practice.
Section 148.9105 — Emeritus Registration.
Section 148.911 — Continuing Education.
Section 148.915 — Reciprocity.
Section 148.916 — Guest Licensure.
Section 148.925 — Supervision.
Section 148.941 — Disciplinary Action; Investigation; Penalty For Violation.
Section 148.96 — Presentation To Public.
Section 148.965 — Test Security.
Section 148.975 — Duty To Warn; Limitation On Liability; Violent Behavior Of Patient.
Section 148.98 — Rules Of Conduct.
Section 148.995 — Definitions.
Section 148.9965 — Designation Of Doula Certification Organizations By Commissioner.