(a) The department has determined that to meet the continuing education requirements under the Act and this chapter a licensee must take the courses and hours offered or approved by the Commission on Dietetic Registration or its agents or a regionally accredited college or university.
(b) Continuing education undertaken by a licensee for renewal shall be acceptable if the experience falls in one or more of the following categories:
  (1) academic courses related to dietetics;
  (2) clinical courses related to dietetics;
  (3) in-service educational programs, training programs, institutes, seminars, workshops and conferences in dietetics;
  (4) instructing or presenting continuing education programs or activities that were offered or approved by the Commission on Dietetic Registration or its agents. Multiple presentations of the same programs only count once;
  (5) acceptance and participation in poster sessions offered by a nationally recognized professional organization in the dietetics field or its state equivalent organization. Participation will be credited one hour for six (6) poster sessions with a maximum of two clock hours for twelve (12) poster sessions;
  (6) books or articles published by the licensee in relevant professional books and referred journals. A minimum of three (3) continuing education hours will be credited for the publication; or
  (7) self-study of professional materials that include self-assessment examinations. Six (6) hours maximum will be credited for self-study during the two-year licensure period.
(c) Activities unacceptable as continuing education for which the department may not grant continuing education credit are:
  (1) education incidental to the regular professional activities of a licensee such as learning occurring from experience or research;
  (2) professional organization activity such as serving on committees or councils or as an officer;
  (3) any continuing education activity completed before the current license term;
  (4) activities described in subsection (b), which have been completed more than once during the current license term;
  (5) performance of duties that are routine job duties or requirements; or
  (6) participation in conference exhibits.
(d) Continuing education experiences shall be credited as follows.
  (1) Completion of course work at or through an accredited college or university shall be credited for each semester hour on the basis of two clock hours of credit for each semester hour successfully completed for credit or audit.
  (2) An activity which meets the criteria of subsection (b)(2) or (3) shall be credited on a one-for-one basis with Continuing Professional Education (CPE) as approved by the Academy.
  (3) A licensee may complete the Texas Jurisprudence Examination as part of the 12 continuing education hours. One hour of continuing education credit will be granted for successful completion of the Texas Jurisprudence Examination.

Source Note: The provisions of this §116.81 adopted to be effective October 1, 2016, 41 TexReg 4481; amended to b effective August 1, 2020, 45 TexReg 5185