1. (a) Each Registered Interior Designer shall complete a minimum of 12 continuing education program hours (CEPH) in topics pertinent to the public welfare, contributing to environmental and economic sustainability, promoting public health and well-being, encouraging community building and stewardship, offering aesthetic and creative experiences and enabling people and communities to function more effectively. These topics may include the following health and safety categories:

   1. (1) legal: laws, codes, zoning, regulations, standards, life-safety, accessibility, ethics, insurance to protect owners and public.
   2. (2) technical: structural, mechanical, electrical, communications, fire protection, controls.
   3. (3) environmental: energy efficiency, sustainability, natural resources, natural hazards, hazardous materials, weatherproofing, insulation.
   4. (4) occupant comfort: air quality, lighting, acoustics, ergonomics.
   5. (5) materials and methods: building systems, products, finishes, furnishings, equipment.
   6. (6) preservations: historic, reuse, adaptation.
   7. (7) pre-design: programming, project analysis, survey of existing conditions, including the materials and configuration of the interior space of a project.
   8. (8) design: interior building design, interior specifications, accessibility, safety, and security measures.
   9. (9) Construction Documents: drawings, specifications and other materials within the definition of the term "Construction Document".
   10. (10) construction administration: contract, bidding, and contract negotiations.
2. (b) Each Registered Interior Designer shall complete the minimum mandatory CEPH during the last full calendar year immediately preceding the date the Registered Interior Designer renews the Registered Interior Designer's certificate of registration. Of the 12 minimum mandatory CEPH, each Registered Interior Designer shall complete a minimum of one CEPH in barrier-free design and at least one CEPH in the study of Sustainable or Energy-Efficient design. One CEPH equals a minimum of 50 minutes of actual course time. No credit shall be awarded for introductory remarks, meals, breaks, or business/administration matters related to courses of study.
3. (c) Registered Interior Designers shall complete a minimum of eight CEPH in structured course study. No credit shall be awarded for the same structured course for which the Registered Interior Designer has claimed credit during the preceding three years except for the Texas Accessibility Academy or another similar course offered by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).
4. (d) Registered Interior Designers may complete a maximum of four CEPH in self-directed study. Self-directed study must utilize articles, monographs, or other study materials that the Registered Interior Designer has not previously utilized for self-directed study.

5. (e) The Board has final authority to determine whether to award or deny credit claimed by a Registered Interior Designer for continuing education activities. The following types of activities may qualify to fulfill continuing education program requirements:

   1. (1) Attendance at courses dealing with technical Interior Design subjects related to the Registered Interior Designer's profession, ethical business practices, or new technology;

   2. (2) Teaching Interior Design courses and time spent in preparation for such teaching:

      1. (A) a maximum of four CEPH may be claimed per class hour spent teaching Interior Design courses;
      2. (B) a Registered Interior Designer may not claim credit for teaching the same course more than once; and
      3. (C) college or university faculty may not claim credit for teaching.
   3. (3) Hours spent in professional service to the general public which draws upon the Registered Interior Designer's professional expertise, such as serving on planning commissions, building code advisory boards, urban renewal boards, or code study committees;
   4. (4) Hours spent in Interior Design research which is published or formally presented to the profession or public;
   5. (5) Hours spent in Interior Design self-directed study programs such as those organized, sponsored, or approved by the American Society of Interior Design, the International Interior Design Association, the National Council for Interior Design Education and Research, or similar organizations acceptable to the Board;
   6. (6) College or university credit courses on Interior Design subjects or ethical business practices; each semester credit hour shall equal one CEPH; each quarter credit hour shall equal one;
   7. (7) One CEPH may be claimed for attendance at one full-day session of a meeting of the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners.

6. (f) A Registered Interior Designer may be exempt from continuing education requirements for any of the following reasons:

   1. (1) A Registered Interior Designer shall be exempt upon initial registration and upon reinstatement of registration through December 31st of the calendar year of his/her initial or reinstated registration;
   2. (2) An inactive or emeritus Registered Interior Designer shall be exempt for any registration period during which the Registered Interior Designer's registration is in inactive or emeritus status, but all continuing education credits for each period of inactive or emeritus registration shall be completed before the Registered Interior Designer's registration may be returned to active status;
   3. (3) A Registered Interior Designer who is not a full-time member of the Armed Forces shall be exempt for any registration period during which the Registered Interior Designer serves on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States for a period of time exceeding 90 consecutive days;
   4. (4) A Registered Interior Designer who has an active registration in another jurisdiction that has registration requirements which are substantially equivalent to Texas registration requirements and that has a mandatory continuing education program shall be exempt from mandatory continuing education program requirements in Texas for any registration period during which the Registered Interior Designer satisfies such other jurisdiction's continuing education program requirements, except with regard to the requirement in Texas that each Registered Interior Designer complete one CEPH related to Sustainable or Energy-Efficient design; or
   5. (5) A Registered Interior Designer who is, as of September 1, 1999, a full-time faculty member or other permanent employee of an institution of higher education, as defined in §61.003, Education Code, and who in such position is engaged in teaching Interior Design.

7. (g) When renewing his/her annual registration, each Registered Interior Designer shall attest to the Registered Interior Designer's fulfillment of the mandatory continuing education program requirements during the immediately preceding calendar year.

   1. (1) Each Registered Interior Designer shall maintain a detailed record of the Registered Interior Designer's continuing education activities. Each Registered Interior Designer shall retain proof of fulfillment of the mandatory continuing education program requirements and shall retain the annual record of continuing education activities required by this subsection for a period of five years after the end of the registration period for which credit is claimed.
   2. (2) Upon written request, the Board may require a Registered Interior Designer to produce documentation to prove that the Registered Interior Designer has complied with the mandatory continuing education program requirements. If acceptable documentation is not provided within 30 days of request, claimed credit may be disallowed. The Registered Interior Designer shall have 60 calendar days after notification of disallowance of credit to substantiate the original claim or earn other CEPH credit to fulfill the minimum requirements. Such credit shall not be counted again for another registration period.
   3. (3) If a Registered Interior Designer is registered to practice more than one of the professions regulated by the Board and the Registered Interior Designer completes a continuing education activity that is directly related to more than one of those professions, the Registered Interior Designer may submit that activity for credit for all of the professions to which it relates. The Registered Interior Designer must maintain a separate detailed record of continuing education activities for each profession.
   4. (4) A Registered Interior Designer may receive credit for up to 24 CEPH earned during any single registration period. A maximum of 12 CEPH that is not used to satisfy the continuing education requirements for a registration period may be carried forward to satisfy the continuing education requirements for the next registration period.
8. (h) Providing false information to the Board, failure to fulfill the annual continuing education program requirements, and failure to respond to, and comply with, audit and verification requests may result in disciplinary action by the Board.

Source Note:The provisions of this §5.79 adopted to be effective October 11, 2001, 26 TexReg 7862; amended to be effective April 3, 2008, 33 TexReg 2693; amended to be effective June 13, 2010, 35 TexReg 4704; amended to be effective April 17, 2012, 37 TexReg 2635; amended to be effective November 23, 2014, 39 TexReg 9009.