New CE Requirement - SB 663

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New Requirements - Fully Licensed Dispensers

SB 663 changes the CE requirements for licensed dispensers in three significant ways:

1. Beginning May 1, 2012, the number of CE hours required for license renewal will change from 40 hours to 20 hours every two years. That means dispensers whose next license renewal date is before May 1, 2012, will still have to acquire and report 40 hours of CE for the two years prior to their renewal, and those whose next renewal date is after May 1, 2012, will only have to acquire and report 20 hours during the previous two years.

2. Beginning May 1, 2012, apprentices and licensees can obtain up to half of their required CE hours online from an approved CE sponsor. At this time, there are no approved CE sponsors that offer online CE programming.

3. Beginning May 1, 2012, when an apprentice obtains his full license, he is not required to obtain any CE hours from the date he becomes fully licensed to the date of his first license renewal. To put it another way, the new CE requirement of 20 hours every two years begins on the date of the first license renewal.

No Change For Apprentices

Apprentices are still required to obtain 20 CE hours during their apprentice year (this is no change in current law). Therefore, an apprentice must obtain 20 CE hours in his apprentice year - none from the time he receives his full licence until his first renewal - then 20 hours every two years thereafter.

THAA Future CE Plans

THAA just completed its 2011 Fall CE Program in Dallas and Houston in September. Due to the reduction in required CE hours effective May 1, 2012, the association will longer provide a fall CE program.

The association's next CE program will be conducted at the THAA 65th Annual Convention & Southwest Regional Trade Show, June 8-9, 2012, at the InterContinental Houston. 10 CE hours approved for license renewal in Texas will be offered.

At this time, the THAA Board of Directors is studying the association's CE programming following the 2012 convention. The Board's final decision on this issue will be announced in the THAA UPDATEbefore the end of 2011.