(a) Number of hours required to renew.
  (1) The Texas Optometry Act requires each optometrist licensed in this state to take 16 hours of continuing education per calendar year with at least six hours in the diagnosis or treatment of ocular disease. Beginning with the 2021 license renewal, at least 12 hours of the required 16 hours shall be in the diagnosis or treatment of ocular disease. The subject of at least one hour of the required 16 hours shall be professional responsibility. The calendar year is considered to begin January 1 and run through December 31.
  (2) Hours required beginning with the 2023 license renewal.
    (A) 32 hours of continuing education taken during the two-year period preceding license renewal.
    (B) 24 hours of the required 32 hours shall be in the diagnosis or treatment of ocular disease.
    (C) Two hours of the required 32 hours shall be in professional responsibility as defined in subsection (b)(1)(H) of this section.
(b) Providers.
  (1) The Board has determined that the following providers who provide courses in subjects directly related to optometry may satisfy the criteria for acceptable continuing education hours and may be given automatic approval:
    (A) Courses sponsored by an optometry college or school accredited by the American Optometric Council on Education (ACOE);
    (B) Courses sponsored by the American Optometric Association (AOA) or an affiliate of the AOA;
    (C) Courses sponsored by the American Academy of Optometry (AAO) or an affiliate of AAO;
    (D) Courses accredited by the Council on Optometric Provider Education (COPE);
    (E) Courses sponsored and or approved by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission;
    (F) Courses sponsored by the American Board of Optometry;
    (G) Courses approved by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (AACME); and
    (H) Courses in professional responsibility given by a board accredited in-state college or school of optometry may be given approval if the course:
      (i) is made available as a live course in this state and on the internet; and
      (ii) includes the study of professional ethics, the Texas Optometry Act and Board Rules, judicious prescribing of dangerous drugs, pain management, or drug abuse by professionals.
  (2) Notwithstanding the automatic approvals contemplated in paragraph (1) of this subsection, the Board shall be entitled to reject individual courses.
(c) Provider Approval. Continuing education providers who are not preapproved under subsection (b) of this section shall make application to the Board on the prescribed form, submit the appropriate fee, and submit all required materials for consideration of approval. Failure to utilize the Board's application form or submit any of the requirements shall be grounds to reject the application request. Provider applications will be approved by the Board upon recommendation from the Continuing Education Committee.
(d) Renewal requirements. Licensees who have not complied with the education requirements may not be issued a renewal license unless such person is entitled to an exemption under Section 351.309 of the Act. The following persons are exempt:
  (1) a licensee who holds a Texas license, but does not practice optometry in Texas; provided, however, that if at any time during the calendar year for which such exemption has been obtained such person desires to practice optometry, such person shall not be entitled to practice optometry in Texas until the hours of continuing education credits set out in subsection (a) of this section are obtained and the board has been notified of the completion of such continuing education requirements;
  (2) a licensee who served in the regular armed forces of the United States during part of the period immediately preceding the license renewal date;
  (3) a licensee who submits proof satisfactory to the board that the licensee suffered a serious or disabling illness or physical disability which prevented the licensee from complying with the requirements of this section during the period immediately preceding the annual license renewal date; provided, however, that in lieu of claiming the exemption, a licensee who has submitted the requisite proof of illness or disability may elect to obtain the education requirement by correspondence or multi-media courses sponsored, monitored, or graded by colleges of optometry; or
  (4) a licensee who was first licensed within the period immediately preceding the first renewal date is exempt from Board mandated continuing education for this first calendar year. A new licensee is not exempt from continuing education required by Texas laws.
(e) Availability. Approved courses must be available to all Texas licensed optometrists at a fee considered reasonable and nondiscriminatory.
(f) Proof of Attendance. Written proof of attendance and completion of approved courses must be supplied by the licensed optometrist to the board in conjunction with the renewal application for an optometry license. If the licensed optometrist is practicing in Texas, the licensee should submit the original proof of attendance or the approved sponsors of continuing education may submit to the board written proof of attendance and completion of approved courses on behalf of the licensed optometrist. Information such as the following will be required: sponsoring organizations; location and dates; course names; instructors; names of attendee; number of education hours completed; and any other information deemed necessary by the board. Proof of attendance supplied by the sponsor should contain at least one signature of the sponsor's designee.
(g) Retired License Continuing Education.
  (1) An applicant with a current license applying for the Retired License shall obtain eight hours of Board approved continuing education during the calendar year preceding the date of application. All of the hours may be obtained on the Internet or by correspondence. At least one half of these hours must be diagnostic/therapeutic as approved by the Board and one hour must be professional responsibility.
  (2) An applicant whose license has expired for one year or more shall obtain 16 hours of Board approved continuing education during the calendar year preceding the date of application. All of the hours may be obtained on the Internet or by correspondence. At least eight of these hours must be diagnostic/therapeutic as approved by the Board and one hour must be professional responsibility.
  (3) The holder of a retired license shall obtain eight hours of Board approved continuing education during the calendar year prior to renewing the license. All of the hours may be obtained on the Internet or by correspondence. At least one half of these hours must be diagnostic/therapeutic as approved by the Board and one hour must be professional responsibility.
  (4) Beginning with the 2023 license renewal, the holder of a retired license shall obtain 16 hours of Board approved continuing education prior to renewing the license. All of the hours may be obtained on the Internet or by correspondence. At least one half of these hours must be diagnostic/therapeutic as approved by the Board and one hour must be professional responsibility.

Source Note: The provisions of this §275.1 adopted to be effective August 11, 1983, 8 TexReg 2934; amended to be effective March 4, 1985, 10 TexReg 631; amended to be effective May 31, 1988, 13 TexReg 2317; amended to be effective January 1, 1994, 18 TexReg 5745; amended to be effective July 19, 1994, 19 TexReg 5169; amended to be effective May 17, 1996, 21 TexReg 3942; amended to be effective May 28, 1997, 22 TexReg 4362; amended to be effective February 11, 1998, 23 TexReg 1024; amended to be effective April 7, 2003, 28 TexReg 2924; amended to be effective December 6, 2005, 30 TexReg 8097; amended to be effective June 3, 2008, 33 TexReg 4302; amended to be effective December 24, 2009, 34 TexReg9212;amended to be effective June 4, 2019, 44 TexReg 2713; amended to be effective December 9, 2019, 44 TexReg 7543; amended to be effective December 13, 2021, 46 TexReg 8351