Pennsylvania Code › Title 49 - PROFESSIONAL AND VOCATIONAL STANDARDS › Part I - DEPARTMENT OF STATE › Subpart A - PROFESSIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL AFFAIRS › Chapter 23 - STATE BOARD OF OPTOMETRY › CHILD ABUSE REPORTING REQUIREMENTS › Section 23.117 - Child abuse recognition and reporting- mandatory training requirement

Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 28, July 13, 2024
(a) Except as
					 provided in subsection (c), individuals applying to the Board for an initial
					 license shall have completed at least 3 hours of training in child abuse
					 recognition and reporting requirements which has been approved by the
					 Department of Human Services and the Bureau, as set forth in §
											23.118 (relating to child abuse
					 recognition and reporter course approval process). The applicant shall certify
					 on the application that the applicant has either completed the required
					 training or has been granted an exemption under subsection (c). The Board will
					 not issue a license unless the Bureau has received an electronic report from an
					 approved course provider documenting the attendance or participation by the
					 applicant or the applicant has obtained an exemption under subsection
					 (c).
(b) Except as provided in
					 subsection (c), licensees seeking renewal of a license issued by the Board
					 shall complete, as a condition of biennial renewal of the license, at least 2
					 hours of approved continuing education in child abuse recognition and
					 reporting, as a portion of the total continuing education required for biennial
					 license renewal or reactivation set forth in §
											23.82 (relating to continuing
					 education hour requirements; continuing education reporting; audit and
					 enforcement). For credit to be granted, the continuing education course or
					 program must be approved by the Bureau, in consultation with the Department of
					 Human Services, as set forth in §
											23.118. The Board will not renew a
					 license unless the Bureau has received an electronic report from an approved
					 course provider documenting the attendance or participation by the licensee in
					 an approved course within the applicable biennial renewal period or the
					 licensee has obtained an exemption under subsection (c). If a licensee also
					 holds a license issued by another licensing board within the Bureau that
					 requires mandatory training in child abuse recognition and reporting, credit
					 for completion of an approved course will be applied to both
					 licenses.
(c) An applicant or
					 licensee may apply in writing for an exemption from the training/continuing
					 education requirements set forth in subsections (a) and (b) provided the
					 applicant or licensee meets one of the following:
(1) The applicant or licensee submits
					 documentation demonstrating that:
(i) The
					 applicant or licensee has already completed child abuse recognition training as
					 required by section
					 1205.6 of the Public School Code
					 of 1949 (24 P.S. §
														12-1205.6).
(ii) The training was approved by the
					 Department of Education in consultation with the Department of Human
					 Services.
(iii) The amount of
					 training received equals or exceeds the amount of training or continuing
					 education required under subsection (a) or subsection (b), as
					 applicable.
(iv) For purposes of
					 licensure renewal, the training must have been completed during the relevant
					 biennial renewal period.