1. (a) The apprentice permit holder must complete 10 hours of continuing education during the apprentice year, with no more than five of the 10 hours being completed through online courses. Virtual courses are not considered online courses.

2. (b) The continuing education courses must be provided by a department-registered continuing education provider. The apprentice permit holder must complete the continuing education courses in one or more of the following approved subjects relating to the fitting and dispensing of hearing instruments:

   1. (1) basic physics of sound;
   2. (2) structure and function of hearing instruments;
   3. (3) fitting of hearing instruments;
   4. (4) pure tone audiometry, including air conduction testing and bone conduction testing;
   5. (5) live voice and recorded voice speech audiometry;
   6. (6) masking when indicated for air conduction, bone conduction, and speech;
   7. (7) recording and evaluation of audiogram and speech audiometry to determine the candidacy for hearing instruments;
   8. (8) selection and adaption of hearing instruments, testing of hearing instruments, and verification of aided hearing instrument performance;
   9. (9) taking of earmold impressions;
   10. (10) verification of hearing instrument fitting and functional gain measurements using a calibrated system;
   11. (11) anatomy and physiology of the ear;
   12. (12) counseling and aural rehabilitation of an individual with a hearing impairment for the purpose of fitting and dispensing hearing instruments;
   13. (13) use of an otoscope for the visual observation of the entire ear canal;
   14. (14) laws, rules, and regulations of this state and the United States; and
   15. (15) the proper procedures for sound level measurements.
3. (c) The apprentice permit holder must provide written proof of attendance or completion of a continuing education course in a form and manner prescribed by the department.
4. (d) The apprentice permit holder will not receive credit for completing the same continuing education course more than once during the permit term.
5. (e) The apprentice permit holder will not receive credit unless the apprentice permit holder attended the full continuing education course. There is no partial credit for attending less than the full course.

Source Note:The provisions of this §112.44 adopted to be effective October 1, 2016, 41 TexReg 4458; amended to be effective May 15, 2025, 50 TexReg 2779.