(225 ILCS 454/30-15)
    (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2020)
    Sec. 30-15. Licensing of continuing education schools; approval of courses.
    (a) Only continuing education schools in possession of a valid continuing education school license may provide real estate continuing education courses that will satisfy the requirements of this Act. Pre-license schools licensed to offer pre-license education courses for salespersons, brokers and managing brokers shall qualify for a continuing education school license upon completion of an application and the submission of the required fee. Every entity that desires to obtain a continuing education school license shall make application to the Department in writing in forms prescribed by the Department and pay the fee prescribed by rule. In addition to any other information required to be contained in the application, every application for an original or renewed license shall include the applicant's Social Security number.
    (b) The criteria for a continuing education license shall include the following:
        (1) A sound financial base for establishing,
    
promoting, and delivering the necessary courses. Budget planning for the School's courses should be clearly projected.
        (2) A sufficient number of qualified, licensed
    
instructors as provided by rule.
        (3) Adequate support personnel to assist with
    
administrative matters and technical assistance.
        (4) Maintenance and availability of records of
    
participation for licensees.
        (5) The ability to provide each participant who
    
successfully completes an approved program with a certificate of completion signed by the administrator of a licensed continuing education school on forms provided by the Department.
        (6) The continuing education school must have a
    
written policy dealing with procedures for the management of grievances and fee refunds.
        (7) The continuing education school shall maintain
    
lesson plans and examinations for each course.
        (8) The continuing education school shall require a
    
70% passing grade for successful completion of any continuing education course.
        (9) The continuing education school shall identify
    
and use instructors who will teach in a planned program. Suggested criteria for instructor selections include:
            (A) appropriate credentials;
            (B) competence as a teacher;
            (C) knowledge of content area; and
            (D) qualification by experience.
        (10) The continuing education school shall provide a
    
proctor or an electronic means of proctoring for each examination. The continuing education school shall be responsible for the conduct of the proctor. The duties and responsibilities of a proctor shall be established by rule.
        (11) The continuing education school must provide for
    
closed book examinations for each course unless the Advisory Council excuses this requirement based on the complexity of the course material.
    (c) Advertising and promotion of continuing education activities must be carried out in a responsible fashion, clearly showing the educational objectives of the activity, the nature of the audience that may benefit from the activity, the cost of the activity to the participant and the items covered by the cost, the amount of credit that can be earned, and the credentials of the faculty.
    (d) The Department may or upon request of the Advisory Council shall, after notice, cause a continuing education school to attend an informal conference before the Advisory Council for failure to comply with any requirement for licensure or for failure to comply with any provision of this Act or the rules for the administration of this Act. The Advisory Council shall make a recommendation to the Board as a result of its findings at the conclusion of any such informal conference.
    (e) All continuing education schools shall maintain these minimum criteria and pay the required fee in order to retain their continuing education school license.
    (f) All continuing education schools shall submit, at the time of initial application and with each license renewal, a list of courses with course materials to be offered by the continuing education school. The Department, however, shall establish a mechanism whereby continuing education schools may apply for and obtain approval for continuing education courses that are submitted after the time of initial application or renewal. The Department shall provide to each continuing education school a certificate for each approved continuing education course. All continuing education courses shall be valid for the period coinciding with the term of license of the continuing education school. All continuing education schools shall provide a copy of the certificate of the continuing education course within the course materials given to each student or shall display a copy of the certificate of the continuing education course in a conspicuous place at the location of the class.
    (g) Each continuing education school shall provide to the Department a monthly report in a format determined by the Department, with information concerning students who successfully completed all approved continuing education courses offered by the continuing education school for the prior month.
    (h) The Department, upon the recommendation of the Advisory Council, may temporarily suspend a licensed continuing education school's approved courses without hearing and refuse to accept successful completion of or participation in any of these continuing education courses for continuing education credit from that school upon the failure of that continuing education school to comply with the provisions of this Act or the rules for the administration of this Act, until such time as the Department receives satisfactory assurance of compliance. The Department shall notify the continuing education school of the noncompliance and may initiate disciplinary proceedings pursuant to this Act. The Department may refuse to issue, suspend, revoke, or otherwise discipline the license of a continuing education school or may withdraw approval of a continuing education course for good cause. Failure to comply with the requirements of this Section or any other requirements established by rule shall be deemed to be good cause. Disciplinary proceedings shall be conducted by the Board in the same manner as other disciplinary proceedings under this Act.
(Source: P.A. 96-856, eff. 12-31-09.)