1. (a) An individual applying for certification or registration must complete a board-approved four hour ethics course designed to thoroughly familiarize the applicant with the board's Rules of Professional Conduct no more than six months prior to submission of the application. Proof of completion of this course must be submitted with the application.
2. (b) Prior to January 1, 2005, every licensee must take a board approved two hour ethics course on the board's Rules of Professional Conduct every three years. Licensees shall report completion of the course on the annual license renewal notice at least every third year.
3. (c) Beginning on January 1, 2005, every licensee must take a four hour ethics course that has been approved by the board pursuant to §523.131 of this title (relating to Board Approval of Ethics Course Content after January 1, 2005) every two years. Licensees shall report completion of the course on the annual license renewal notice at least every second year.
4. (d) For the license renewal due in 2007, every certificate or registration holder must have taken and reported a 4-hour ethics course approved by the board pursuant to §523.131 of this title (relating to Board Approval of Ethics Course Content after January 1, 2005). To transition from the 3-year reporting cycle contained in subsection (b) of this section to the 2-year reporting cycle contained in subsection (c) of this section, those certificate or registration holders that would have been required to report the taking of an ethics course for their license renewal due in 2005 under the 3-year cycle must continue to report the satisfaction of this requirement for their license renewal in 2005; however, either a 2-hour ethics course approved by the board pursuant to §523.133 of this title (relating to Course Content and Board Approval) or a 4-hour ethics course approved by the board pursuant to §523.131 of this title (relating to Board Approval of Ethics Course Content after January 1, 2005) will be accepted in satisfaction of this requirement. Those certificate or registration holders that would have been required to report the taking of an ethics course for their license renewal due in 2006 under the 3-year cycle must report the satisfaction of this requirement for their license renewal in 2006; however, that course must be a 4-hour ethics course approved by the board pursuant to §523.131 of this title.
5. (e) A licensee granted retired, permanent disability, or other exempt status is not required to complete the ethics course during the licensee's exempt status. When the exempt status is no longer applicable, the individual must complete an ethics course approved by the board and report it on the license renewal notice if due.
6. (f) A certificate or registration holder who resides in the state of Texas must take the ethics course in a live instructor format or in an interactive computer-based format as defined in §523.102(b)(5) of this title (relating to CPE Purpose and Definitions).
7. (g) A certificate or registration holder who does not reside in the state of Texas must take the course in either a live instructor format or a computer-based interactive format as defined in §523.102(b)(5) of this title (relating to CPE Purpose and Definitions) or obtain a written exemption from the board.
8. (h) Interpretive Comment: Only a 4-hour course will be board approved after January 1, 2005. If a licensee needs to report an ethics course in 2005, he may take a board approved 2-hour course prior to January 1, 2005; however, he will still need to take a board approved 4-hour ethics course to report no later than his 2007 license renewal date. For example:
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Source Note:The provisions of this §523.130 adopted to be effective April 7, 2004, 29 TexReg 3477; amended to be effective August 4, 2004, 29 TexReg 7308.