(a) Licenses issued under this chapter shall be renewed once every two years, in accordance with the provisions of section 19a-88, on payment of the renewal fee of two hundred dollars to the department and on production of evidence of satisfactory completion of continuing education requirements established by the Commissioner of Public Health, in accordance with subsection (b) of this section.

(b) (1) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, for registration periods beginning on and after October 1, 2014, a licensee applying for license renewal shall earn not less than sixteen hours of continuing education within the preceding twenty-four-month period. Such continuing education shall consist of courses offered or approved by the International Hearing Society, the American Academy of Audiology or the American Speech-Language Hearing Association or such successor organizations as may be approved by the Commissioner of Public Health.

(2) Each licensee applying for license renewal pursuant to section 19a-88, except a licensee applying for a license renewal for the first time, shall sign a statement attesting that he or she has satisfied the continuing education requirements described in subdivision (1) of this subsection on a form prescribed by the department. Each licensee shall retain records of attendance or certificates of completion that demonstrate compliance with the continuing education requirements described in subdivision (1) of this subsection for not less than three years following the date on which the continuing education was completed. Each licensee shall submit such records to the department for inspection not later than forty-five days after a request by the department for such records.

(3) In individual cases involving medical disability or illness, the commissioner may grant a waiver of the continuing education requirements or an extension of time within which to fulfill such requirements of this subsection to any licensee, provided the licensee submits to the department an application for waiver or extension of time on a form prescribed by the commissioner, along with a certification by a licensed physician or a licensed advanced practice registered nurse of the disability or illness and such other documentation as may be required by the department. The commissioner may grant a waiver or extension for a period not to exceed one registration period, except that the commissioner may grant additional waivers or extensions if the medical disability or illness upon which a waiver or extension is granted continues beyond the period of the waiver or extension and the licensee applies for an additional waiver or extension.

(c) A licensee applying for the first time for license renewal pursuant to section 19a-88 is exempt from the continuing education requirements of this section.

(d) A licensee whose license has become void pursuant to section 19a-88 and who applies to the department for reinstatement of such license, shall submit evidence documenting the successful completion of eight hours of continuing education within the one-year period immediately preceding application for reinstatement.

(1972, P.A. 295, S. 8; P.A. 77-473, S. 7; 77-614, S. 587, 614; P.A. 78-303, S. 85, 136; P.A. 80-484, S. 160, 176; P.A. 81-471, S. 63, 71; P.A. 89-251, S. 145, 203; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6, S. 40, 117; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-3, S. 27; P.A. 12-110, S. 2; P.A. 14-231, S. 44; P.A. 16-39, S. 41.)

History: P.A. 77-473 required evidence of completion of continuing education requirements for renewal of license or certificate; P.A. 77-614 and 78-303 allowed substitution of commissioner of health services for abolished advisory counsel on hearing aids; P.A. 80-484 replaced previous renewal provisions with statement requiring renewal as provided in Sec. 19-45, i.e. grace period of 30 days, January thirtieth expiration date and special renewal conditions were deleted; P.A. 81-471 deleted reference to January 1, 1981, as date for beginning of annual renewal; P.A. 89-251 increased the fee from $15 to $45; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6 raised fee to $100; P.A. 93-381 replaced commissioner of health services with commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-3 changed license renewal from annually to biennially and increased renewal fee from $100 to $200, effective January 1, 2004; P.A. 12-110 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and added Subsecs. (b) to (d) re continuing education requirements; P.A. 14-231 amended Subsec. (b)(1) by replacing “National Board of Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences” with “International Hearing Society”; P.A. 16-39 amended Subsec. (b)(3) by adding reference to licensed advanced practice registered nurse.