Section 1246.70  Continuing Education

For the April 2010 renewal and every renewal thereafter, in order to renew a license, the licensee shall be required to complete 30 hours of continuing education (CE).  One Continuing Education Unit (CEU) is defined as 10 contact hours of participation in a qualifying CE activity.

a)         Qualifying CE activities are the following:

1)         Courses offered or approved by the American Electrology Association or its affiliates;

2)         Courses offered or approved by the Society for Clinical & Medical Hair Removal, Inc.;

3)         Credit-bearing college courses and other post-graduate classes for continuing education credit offered at a regionally accredited academic institution, provided the coursework is in a subject area relevant to electrolysis;

4)         Hospital or medical school sponsored educational offerings, provided the subject area is relevant to electrolysis; and

5)         Courses from another state that are approved by that state's licensing agency or professional electrology organization, provided the coursework is in a subject area relevant to electrolysis.

b)         CE activities shall meet the following requirements:

1)         The activity involves face-to-face instruction, online instruction, or a home study program;

2)         The provider implements a mechanism to monitor and document physical attendance at the instruction or to verify licensee completion in the case of a home study program;

3)         The provider retains written records for a period of 3 years from the participant's actual successful completion of the activity, including but not limited to:  content description; instructor; date of activity; location of activity; list of participants; participant's evaluation of instruction presented; and number of contact hours; and

4)         The provider issues a certificate of completion after the participant's successful completion of the activity.  The certificate shall include the participant's name, provider's name, title or subject area of the activity, date and location of attendance, and number of contact hours completed.

c)         Certification of CE Requirements

1)         Each renewal applicant shall certify on the renewal application full compliance with CE requirements (see subsections (a) and (b)).

2)         A renewal applicant is not required to complete CE for the first renewal following the issuance of the original license.

3)         The Division may require additional evidence demonstrating compliance with the CE requirements.  It is the responsibility of each renewal applicant to retain or otherwise produce evidence of compliance (e.g., certificate of attendance or completion).  Evidence shall be required in the context of the Division's random audit in accordance with Section 60 of the Act.

d)         Waiver of CE Requirements

1)         Any renewal applicant seeking renewal of a license without having fully complied with these CE requirements shall file with the Division a renewal application along with the required fee, an affidavit containing a statement setting forth the facts concerning non-compliance and a request for waiver of the CE requirements on the basis of these facts.  A request for waiver shall be made prior to the renewal date.  If the Division finds, from the affidavit or any other evidence submitted, that extreme good cause has been shown for granting a waiver, the Division shall waive enforcement of CE requirements for the renewal period for which the applicant has applied.

2)         Extreme hardship shall be determined on an individual basis and be defined as an inability to devote sufficient hours to fulfilling the CE requirements during the applicable prerenewal period because of:

A)        Full-time service in the armed forces of the United States of America during a substantial part of the prerenewal period;

B)        An incapacitating illness documented by a statement from a currently licensed physician;

C)        A physical inability to travel to the sites of approved programs documented by a currently licensed physician; and

D)        Any other similar extenuating circumstance.

3)         Any renewal applicant who, prior to the expiration date of the license, submits a request for a waiver, in whole or in part, pursuant to the provisions of this Section shall be deemed to be in good standing until the final decision on the application is made by the Division.

(Source:  Amended at 45 Ill. Reg. 2798, effective March 1, 2021)