(1) All applicants for renewal of an active status license shall have completed continuing education as provided in this rule as a condition to establish eligibility for renewal. The continuing education requirement will not apply until the licensee's first full year of licensure.

(a) Fourteen hours of continuing education will be required annually for renewal of a license.

(b) Up to seven hours earned in excess of the 14 hours required in a licensing year may be carried over into the succeeding year.

(c) All continuing education credits must be germane to the profession and must contribute to the professional competence of a clinical laboratory science practitioner.

(2) Continuing education may be obtained in any of the following settings, and subject to any listed conditions:

(a) Any continuing education offered or approved by the following:

(i) American society of clinical pathologists (ASCP) ;

(ii) national certifying agency (NCA) ;

(iii) American medical technologists (AMT) ;

(iv) American society of clinical laboratory science (ASCLS) ;

(v) national laboratory training network (NLTN) ;

(vi) laboratory education for North Dakota (LEND) ;

(vii) Colorado association for continuing medical laboratory education (CACMLE) ;

(viii) American association of blood banks (AABB) ;

(ix) American association of clinical chemists (AACC) ;

(x) American society for microbiologists (ASM) ;

(xi) association of cytogenetic technologists (ACT) ;

(xii) international society for clinical laboratory technology (ISCLT) ;

(xiii) American association of bioanalysts (AAB) ;

(xiv) Mayo medical laboratories;

(xv) professional laboratory societies in any of the 50 states;

(xvi) clinical laboratory management association (CLMA) ; or

(xvii) other providers as listed in the office of the board or on the web site.

(b) College course work, approved by the board, which is germane to the profession and contributes directly to the professional competence of a clinical laboratory science practitioner, and subject to the following limitations:

(i) the licensee must pass the course;

(ii) one semester credit shall equal 15 hours of continuing education;

(iii) one quarter credit shall equal 10 hours of continuing education.

(c) Continuing education not sponsored by organizations listed in (2) (a) shall be submitted to the Montana board of clinical laboratory science practitioners for its consideration for approval.

(3) Continuing education credits can be earned by teaching courses that are germane to the profession. Credit units may be applied in this category based on a report by the licensee. For a one-hour presentation, the presenter will be awarded two hours of continuing education. The following limitations shall apply to requests for credit under this section:

(a) documentation must be submitted showing the licensee as the instructor of the course,

(b) the course must be addressed to health professionals in order to qualify for credit,

(c) instruction of any course may be submitted for continuing education only once,

(d) individuals employed by universities and colleges may not claim credit units in this section for conducting courses that are a part of the regular course offering of those institutions, even if those courses are offered in the evening or summer.