645—102.3(156,272C) Standards.
	102.3(1) General criteria. A continuing education activity must meet the following criteria:
	a. 	Constitute an organized program of learning that contributes directly to the professional competency of the licensee;
	b. 	Pertain to subject matters that integrally relate to the practice of the profession;
	c. 	Be conducted by individuals who have specialized education, training and experience concerning the subject matter of the program. At the time of audit, the board may request the qualifications of presenters;
	d. 	Fulfill stated program goals, objectives, or both; and
	e. 	Provide proof of attendance to licensees in attendance, including:
	(1)	Date(s), location, course title, presenter(s);
	(2)	Number of program contact hours; and
	(3)	Certificate of completion or evidence of successful completion of the course provided by the course sponsor.
All licensees must retain the information identified in paragraph 102.3(1)“e” for two years after the biennium has ended.
	102.3(2) Specific criteria.
	a. 	The following categories of continuing education are accepted:
	(1)	Public health and technical: chemistry, microbiology and public health, anatomy, pathology, restorative art, arterial and cavity embalming.
	(2)	Business management: accounting, funeral home and crematory management and merchandising, computer application, funeral directing, and small business management.
	(3)	Social sciences/humanities: psychology of grief, counseling, sociology of funeral service, history of funeral service, communication skills, and philosophy.
	(4)	Legal, ethical, regulatory: mortuary law; business law; ethics; Federal Trade Commission, OSHA, ADA, and EPA regulations; preneed regulation; social services; veterans affairs benefits; insurance; state and county benefits; legislative concerns. Insurance will be related to life insurance and will not exceed 8 hours each biennium.
	b. 	Academic coursework that meets the criteria set forth in the rule is accepted. Continuing education credit equivalents are as follows:
1 academic semester hour = 10 continuing education hours
1 academic trimester hour = 8 continuing education hours
1 academic quarter hour = 7 continuing education hours
A course description and an official school transcript indicating successful completion of the course must be provided by the licensee to receive credit for an academic course if continuing education is audited.
	c. 	Attendance at or participation in a program or course that is offered or sponsored by a state or national funeral association that meets the criteria in subrule 102.3(1) and paragraph 102.3(2)“a” is accepted.
	d. 	 Independent study credits, including those obtained by television viewing, Internet, video- or sound-recorded programs, or correspondence work or by other similar means that meet the criteria in paragraph 102.3(2)“a,” must be accompanied by a certificate from the sponsoring organization that indicates successful completion of the test. Continuing education credit obtained by independent study will not exceed 12 hours of the 24 hours required during the compliance period.
	e. 	Presentations of a structured continuing education program or a college course that meets the criteria established in standards for approval may receive 1.5 times the number of hours granted the attendees. These hours will be granted only once per biennium for identical presentations.
	f. 	Two of the 24 hours of continuing education will be in current Iowa law and rules covering mortuary science content areas including but not limited to Iowa law and rules governing the practice of mortuary science, cremation, vital statistics, cemeteries and preneed.
[ARC 7814C, IAB 4/17/24, effective 5/22/24]