(a) A license holder must complete 20 clock-hours of continuing education during each two-year licensure period.     
      (b) Continuing education credit taken by a license holder for renewal shall be acceptable if the experience falls in one or more of the following categories and meets the requirements of subsection (c):      
        (1) academic courses at a regionally accredited college or university;       
        (2) in-service educational programs, training programs, institutes, seminars, workshops and conferences, including courses and programs provided by education service centers;       
        (3) instructing or presenting education programs or activities at an academic course, in-service educational programs, training programs, institutes, seminars, workshops and conferences not to exceed five clock-hours each continuing education period;       
        (4) publishing a book or an article in a peer review journal not to exceed five clock-hours each continuing education period; or       
        (5) successful completion of a self-study program, not to exceed ten clock-hours each continuing education period.       
      (c) Continuing education credit taken by a license holder, shall be in one or more of the following content areas:      
        (1) basic language and/or learning disorders;       
        (2) applied multisensory practice and methodology;       
        (3) curricula in academic language therapy;       
        (4) related research in medicine, psychology, education, or linguistics; or       
        (5) professional practice, including relevant laws, rules, and ethics of practice.       
      (d) Continuing education experience 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 ten clock-hours of credit for each semester hour successfully completed for credit or audit as evidenced by a certificate of successful completion or official transcript.       
        (2) Parts of programs that meet the criteria of subsection (b)(2) or (3) shall be credited on a one-for-one basis with one clock-hour of credit for each clock-hour spent in the continuing education experience.       
        (3) A clock-hour shall be 50 minutes of attendance and participation in an acceptable continuing education experience.       
        (4) Continuing education programs, as described in subsection (b)(2) and (3), must be offered or approved by the Academic Language Therapy Association or its equivalent, as approved by the department.       
        (5) Successful completion of continuing education experience, as described in subsection (b)(2) and (3), is evidenced by a certificate of completion or attendance issued by the approved sponsoring organization of the course.       
        (6) Successful completion of continuing education experience, as described in subsection (b)(4), is evidenced by submission of a copy of the publication.       
        (7) Successful completion of continuing education experience, described in subsection (b)(5), is evidenced by a certificate of completion presented by the sponsoring organization of the self-study program.       
      (e) The department shall employ an audit system for continuing education reporting. The license holder shall be responsible for maintaining a record of his or her continuing education experiences. The certificates, diplomas, or other documentation verifying earning of continuing education hours, are not to be forwarded to the department at the time of renewal unless the license holder has been selected for audit.     
      (f) The audit process shall be as follows.      
        (1) The department shall select for audit, a random sample of license holders for each renewal month. License holders will be notified of the continuing education audit when they receive their renewal documentation.       
        (2) All license holders selected for audit shall submit copies of certificates, transcripts or other documentation satisfactory to the department, verifying the license holder's attendance, participation and completion of the continuing education. All documentation must be provided at the time of renewal.       
        (3) Failure to timely furnish this information or providing false information during the audit process or the renewal process are grounds for disciplinary action against the license holder.       
        (4) A license holder who is selected for continuing education audit may renew through the online renewal process. However, the license will not be considered renewed until the required continuing education documents are received, accepted and approved by the department.       
      (g) Licenses will not be renewed until continuing education requirements have been met.     
      (h) A person who fails to complete continuing education requirements for renewal may not renew the license. The person may obtain a new license by complying with the current requirements and procedures for obtaining a license.     
      (i) The department may not grant continuing education credit to any license holder for:      
        (1) education incidental to the regular professional activities of a license holder, 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 or after the period of time described in subsection (a); or       
        (4) performance of duties that are routine job duties or requirements.       
      (j) The human trafficking prevention training course required for license renewal under §120.26(b) may be accepted for up to one hour of continuing education credit.     
     Source Note:        The provisions of this §120.25 adopted to be effective October 1, 2016, 41 TexReg 2476; amended to be effective June 1, 2021, 46 TexReg 3385