pa-56-41-1477: Continuing education

Summary

The State Board of Optometry (board) amends §§ 23.1, 23.81 23.88 and 23.91; adds § 23.86a (relating to acceptable methods of continuing education); and deletes § 23.301 to read as set forth in Annex A. Effective Date This final-form rulemaking will be effective upon publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin . Statutory Authority This final-form rulemaking is authorized under the Optometric Practice and Licensure Act (act) (63 P.S. §§ 244.1 244.12). Section 3(b)(14) of the act (63 P.S. § 244.3(b)(14)) gives the board the authority to promulgate all rules and regulations necessary to carry out the purposes of the act. Under section 3(b)(12) of the act, the board is authorized to establish and approve by rule and regulation courses of continuing professional optometric education. Additionally, under 63 Pa.C.S. § 3107.1(c) (relating to virtual operation), ''[e]ach licensing board . . . shall establish rules and regulations for continuing education that provides for distance education if continuing education is required for a license, certificate, registration or permit in a practice act.'' Background and Purpose The board performed an extensive review of its existing continuing education regulations. Over the past several years, the board has made amendments to its continuing education regulations but has not reviewed the regulations in totality. In this final-form rulemaking, the board's intent is to simplify the requirements and to clarify the regulations governing its...

The agency’s own summary, as published.