45:11-72 Continuing education requirements.

17. a. The board shall require each person licensed as a massage and bodywork therapist, as a condition for biennial license renewal pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1972, c.108 (C.45:1-7), to complete any continuing education requirements imposed by the board pursuant to this section.

b. The board shall:

(1) Establish standards for continuing massage and bodywork therapist education, including: the number of credits, which shall not exceed 24 credit hours biennially; the subject matter and content of courses of study; competency assessments; and the type of continuing education credits required of a licensed massage and bodywork therapist as a condition of license renewal;

(2) Approve educational programs offering credit towards continuing massage and bodywork therapist education requirements; and

(3) Approve other equivalent educational programs and establish procedures for the issuance of credit upon satisfactory proof of the completion of those programs. In the case of continuing education courses and programs, each hour of instruction shall be equivalent to one credit.

c. The board shall only approve programs that are provided on a nondiscriminatory basis.

d. (1) The board may, in its discretion, waive requirements for continuing education on an individual basis for reasons of hardship, such as disability, retirement of the license, military service or deployment, or any other good cause.

(2) If a massage and bodywork therapist completes a number of continuing education credit hours in excess of the number required for a biennial period, the board, by rule or regulation, may allow credits to be carried over to satisfy the person's continuing education requirement for the next biennial renewal period, but shall not be applicable thereafter.

L.2007, c.337, s.17.