2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE TWENTY - Examining Boards and Professional Colleges (§§ 1 — 6033) › Chapter 41 - Board of Examiners and College of Social Workers (§§ 821 — 850) › Subchapter II - Board of Examiners of Social Workers (§§ 841 — 850) › § 842 - Authorization for the issuing of licenses

The Board of Examiners shall be the only entity authorized to issue licenses for the practice of social work in Puerto Rico to any person who meets the requirements specified in §§ 844 and 846 of this title.
Every person who practices the profession of social work in Puerto Rico, and holds a permanent or provisional license issued by the Board of Examiners shall also comply with a minimum of twelve (12) contact hours per year of continuing education. In the case of a social worker who, at the time of membership renewal, is undertaking university studies in social work in a university that has been duly accredited by the Council on Higher Education, it shall not be necessary to meet such continuing education requirement if the social worker demonstrates that, at the time of membership renewal, he/she has approved at least two (2) credit hours and continues studying. The College, in consultation with the Board of Examiners, shall establish a continuing education program. The Institute of Continuing Education, attached to the College, shall be in charge of such program. The College is hereby empowered, in consultation with the Board of Examiners, to implement regulations for the aforementioned program and the Board of Examiners is hereby empowered, in consultation with and with the approval of the College, to establish, through regulations, any increase or reduction in the hours of continuing education set forth in this chapter, which shall not be less than twelve (12) contact hours per year. The Institute shall be responsible for offering a continuing education program, as well as for evaluating and certifying any programs offered by other teaching and professional entities. Likewise, the Institute of Continuing Education shall annually certify to both the Board of Examiners and the College, compliance with the continuing education requirement for social workers holding permanent and provisional licenses, as well as those who have complied with said requirement. Social workers holding a permanent or provisional license shall present evidence of having met the continuing education requirement at the time of renewal of their membership.
The continuing education requirement may be met through training in or out of the public or private agency or institution in which the social worker is employed, provided it is certified by the Institute of Continuing Education of the College. Every person licensed as provided in this chapter, who renders public or private social work services as direct services, advising, consulting, or who has an administrative position in a public or private agency or institution, or is engaged in teaching or social research, shall comply with the requirement of twelve (12) contact hours of continuing education per year. Furthermore, the Board of Examiners is hereby empowered, in consultation with and with the approval of the College, to prescribe by regulations any other aspect necessary for compliance with the provisions of this chapter.
It shall be the duty of all social workers to present to the College the necessary evidence to prove completion of the required hours of continuing education. This requirement, however, shall not apply to retired professionals who are no longer practicing the profession of social work and to those who show just cause for not complying and so notify to the College.
For purposes of this section, “just cause” shall mean that a social worker has been unemployed for at least six (6) consecutive months prior to the date of renewal of his/her membership, or that the social worker is physically or mentally unfit to practice the profession, is not working in a classified position requiring him/her to be a social worker, is not practicing the profession due to full-time studies, or is working or studying outside the jurisdiction of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
History —May 11, 1940, No. 171, p. 984, § 6; Dec. 28, 2003, No. 314, § 1; Aug. 4, 2004, No. 193, § 1; May 30, 2008, No. 75, § 1; Dec. 16, 2009, No. 175, § 1; Dec. 30, 2010, No. 249, § 5.