Idaho § 67-9416 - UNIVERSAL OCCUPATIONAL LICENSURE RENEWAL REFORM

§ 67-9416. UNIVERSAL OCCUPATIONAL LICENSURE RENEWAL REFORM

(1) A licensing authority shall establish procedures for the efficient renewal of licenses to licensed professionals in good standing to practice in Idaho. Such procedures shall include the following renewal conditions, if continuing education is required by a licensing authority as a condition of licensure renewal:

(a) The required number of annual hours of continuing education shall not exceed the average annual hours of continuing education required of the same licensed professionals in contiguous states; and

(b) Flexibility shall be provided to licensed professionals in terms of the courses, providers, and formats that qualify for continuing education credit.

(2) The provisions of subsection (1) of this section shall not apply if the Idaho licensing authority reports evidence that compels a more stringent requirement for Idaho-licensed professionals relative to the same licensed professionals in other jurisdictions.

(3) Licensed professionals who reside outside the state of Idaho shall not be required to comply with Idaho continuing education requirements if:

(a) The licensed professional’s primary residence on file with the licensing authority is outside the state of Idaho;

(b) The licensed professional holds an equivalent license in their primary state of residence;

(c) The primary state of residence requires mandatory continuing education for the same profession; and

(d) The licensed professional has met the mandatory continuing education requirements of their primary state of residence and is able to prove such continuing education compliance upon request of the licensing authority.

(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (3) of this section, any licensed professional residing outside the state of Idaho shall comply with any continuing education requirement that provides for a licensee to maintain familiarity with Idaho-specific practices or laws relevant to a licensee’s profession, provided that such requirement is in effect before July 1, 2024.

(5) A licensing authority shall grant waivers or partial waivers for continuing education requirements for such time that military service members are serving on active duty.

(6) Licensing authorities may approve relevant education, training, or service towards continuing education requirements.

(7) Licensing authorities shall seek education-based alternatives to formal discipline for first time offenses related to continuing education noncompliance, such as requiring two (2) continuing education hours for every hour a licensed professional failed to complete continuing education.

(8) A licensing authority shall seek to minimize the burden of audits on licensed professionals. Accordingly, a licensing authority shall seek information from continuing education providers and monitoring services, to the extent that such information is available, before requesting such information from a licensed professional. A licensing authority shall seek the minimum information that is necessary to determine compliance.

(9) No provision in this section shall apply to a licensed profession that has entered into a licensing compact under Idaho Code if the requirements of the licensing compact would conflict with such provision.

(10) A licensing authority shall review its administrative rules and eliminate or modify any continuing education provisions in conflict with this section.

(11) A licensing authority shall comply with the provisions of this section no later than July 1, 2025.

[67-9416, added 2024, ch. 265, sec. 1, p. 924.]