§1094. Professional education required for licensure; continuing education

A.(1) In order to meet the pre-licensing education requirements pursuant to R.S. 6:1088, a person shall complete at least twenty hours of education approved in accordance with this Section, which shall include all of the following minimum requirements:

(a) Three hours of federal law and regulations.

(b) Three hours of ethics, which shall include instruction on fraud, consumer protection, and fair lending issues.

(c) Two hours of training related to lending standards for the non-traditional mortgage marketplace.

(d) Repealed by Acts 2010, No. 36, §2.

(2) For purposes of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, pre-licensing education courses shall be reviewed and approved by the NMLS&R, and shall include review and approval of course providers; provided however, that until such time as the commissioner determines that the pre-licensing education courses and course providers referred to in this Paragraph are available to satisfy the requirements of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, the requirements may be met by the completion prior to December 31, 2010, of any pre-licensing education courses or continuing education courses approved by the commissioner in accordance with this Part prior to that date. Such courses approved by the commissioner shall be eligible for inclusion in the total number of hours of pre-licensing education any person is required to complete in order to obtain, or to renew a mortgage loan originator license for any license year beginning on, or prior, to January 1, 2011.

(3) Nothing in this Section shall preclude any pre-licensing education course, as approved by the NMLS&R, that is provided by the employer of an applicant or an entity which is affiliated with the employer by an agency contract, or by any subsidiary or affiliate of such employer or entity.

(4) Pre-licensing education may be offered by any means approved by the NMLS&R.

(5) Unless otherwise provided by a rule issued by the commissioner, a person having successfully completed the pre-licensing education courses approved by the NMLS&R for any other state shall be accepted as credit towards completion of pre-licensing education course requirements in this state.

(6) The pre-licensing education requirements shall apply to all applications for a mortgage loan originator license submitted after July 31, 2009, and to all applications for renewal of a mortgage loan originator license submitted for the 2010 licensing year; provided however that, and notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, any person licensed as a mortgage loan originator on July 30, 2009, shall not be required to meet the minimum requirement of twenty hours of pre-licensing education provided for in this Part, until such person timely submits an application to renew a mortgage loan originator license for the year 2011.

B.(1) In order to meet the annual continuing education requirements pursuant to R.S. 6:1088.3, a licensed mortgage loan originator shall complete at least eight hours of continuing education approved in accordance with Paragraph (2) of this Subsection, which shall include all of the following minimum requirements:

(a) Three hours of federal laws and regulations.

(b) Two hours of ethics, which shall include instruction on fraud, consumer protection, and fair lending issues.

(c) Two hours of training related to lending standards for the nontraditional mortgage product marketplace.

(d) Repealed by Acts 2010, No. 36, §2.

(2) For purposes of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, continuing education courses shall be reviewed, and approved by the NMLS&R and shall include review and approval of the course provider; provided however, until such time as the commissioner determines that the continuing education courses and course providers referred to in this Paragraph are available to satisfy the requirements of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, the requirements may be met by completion of any continuing education courses approved by the commissioner in accordance with this Part. Such courses approved by the commissioner shall be eligible for inclusion in the total number of hours of continuing education any person is required to complete in order to renew a mortgage loan originator license for any license year beginning on or prior to January 1, 2011.

(3) Nothing in this Section shall preclude any education course, as approved by the NMLS&R, that is provided by the employer of the mortgage loan originator or an entity which is affiliated with the mortgage loan originator by an agency contract, or any subsidiary or affiliate of such employer or entity.

(4) Continuing education may be provided by any other means approved by the NMLS&R.

(5) Except as provided in Paragraph (6) of this Subsection, a licensed mortgage loan originator:

(a) May only receive credit for a continuing education course in the year in which the course is taken.

(b) May not take the same approved course in the same or successive years to meet the annual requirements for continuing education.

(c) May receive credit for being an instructor of an approved continuing education course, at the rate of two hours of credit for every one hour of instruction, towards the licensed mortgage loan originator's own annual continuing education requirements for the next licensing year after providing such instruction.

(6) The provisions of Subparagraphs (5)(a) and (b) of this Subsection shall not apply to:

(a) Courses approved by the commissioner for inclusion in the total number of hours of pre-licensing education courses required to satisfy the pre-licensing education requirements for any person required to meet the minimum pre-licensing education requirements to obtain a mortgage originator license, or to obtain renewal of a mortgage loan originator license for any license year beginning prior to January 1, 2011.

(b) Courses approved by the commissioner for inclusion in the total number of hours of continuing education courses required to satisfy the continuing education requirements for any person required to meet the minimum continuing education requirements to obtain renewal of a mortgage loan originator license for any license year beginning after the effective date of this Act and prior to January 1, 2011.

(7) A person having successfully completed the continuing education requirements approved by the NMLS&R in this Subsection for any other state shall be accepted as credit towards completion of the continuing education requirements of this Chapter.

(8) A licensed mortgage loan originator who subsequently becomes unlicensed must complete the continuing education requirements for the last year in which the license was held prior to issuance of a new or renewed license.

C - E. Repealed by Acts 2010, No. 36, §2.

F. No person shall hold himself out as being or advertise as a certified mortgage broker, mortgage lender, or originator unless such person has completed the educational requirements established in this Section.

G. Repealed by Acts 2010, No. 36, §2.

Acts 1999, No. 1098, §1, eff. July 9, 1999; Acts 2000, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 34, §1, eff. April 14, 2000; Acts 2003, No. 875, §§1 and 2; Acts 2005, No. 235, §1; Acts 2007, No. 34, §1; Acts 2008, No. 531, §1, eff. June 30, 2008; Acts 2009, No. 522, §1, eff. July 31, 2009; Acts 2010, No. 36, §§1, 2; Acts 2010, No. 743, §22A, eff. July 1, 2010.