N.J. Admin. Code § 8:7-1.16

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 9, May 6, 2024

Section 8:7-1.16 - Course, seminar, or program approval; application fee

(a) Any course of study that addresses the content areas specified at N.J.A.C. 8:7-1.15(a) of fered by an educational institution, association, professional society, person, or organization and used by applicants for the purpose of continuing education and licensure in this State as health officers or registered environmental health specialists may be approved by the Public Health Council, in accordance with this chapter.

1. Any course, seminar, or program that is sponsored by the Department , the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, or a school or program accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health or the National Environmental Health, Science and Protection Accreditation Council, which fulfills the requirements set forth at N.J.A.C. 8:7-1.15is exempt from securing approval from the Public Health Council. The Public Health Council shall determine the number of continuing education contact hours that will be assigned to the course, seminar, or program.

2. The annual meetings of the New Jersey Association of City and County Health Officials, New Jersey Environmental Health Association, South Jersey's Sanitarians' Association, New Jersey Public Health Association, American Public Health Association, and National Environmental Health Association, upon approval of the Public Health Council and in accordance with this section, may be used in partial fulfillment of the requirement for continuing education.

(b) Any person or organization desiring approval of a health or health-related course, seminar, or program shall apply to the Public Health Council through written application. Each application shall be submitted at least 30 days prior to the first session in the name of the person or organization by a person authorized to do so. The application shall contain the following minimum information:

1. The name of the course, seminar, or program and its primary learning objectives;

2. The time, date, and place of the course, seminar, or program;

3. Name of the lecturer(s) and his or her credentials;

4. An outline showing the course, seminar, or program content broken down by session and time schedule;

5. A description of any written materials to be used;

6. A projected schedule for the times the course, seminar, or program will be offered in a year and the dates of the presentation;

7. A statement that the institution shall notify the Public Health Council if the course, seminar, or program is withdrawn or changed;

8. A statement that the sponsor shall provide attendance verification documents for all attendees who request them which shall include the course approval number and shall provide a copy of the registration roster to the Public Health Council within 30 days of completion of the course. Each sponsor shall have a proctor who shall attest to the attendance of each attendee;

9. A statement that the institution shall maintain such records as are required by this section; and 10. A description of the method of evaluation, which shall include a section that elicits suggestions for future course topics.

(c) The Public Health Council reserves the right to undertake such reviews as may be necessary to verify the accuracy of an application or conformity with this chapter. The sponsor, by submitting the application, expressly agrees to cooperate in such reviews.

(d) Continuing education contact hours may be awarded by the Public Health Council upon review of the application and any supporting materials pursuant to the following schedule:

1. One hour of live lecture or video taped lecture at which a topic(s) expert is present to moderate the program or small group exercises equals one contact hour;

2. One hour of field or laboratory work equals one-half contact hour; and 3. All recertification courses of three or more hours shall equal three contact hours; all recertification courses which equal less than three hours shall equal the actual time of the course.

(e) All sponsors shall secure approval of the Public Health Council prior to representing that the course, seminar, or program fulfills the requirements of this subsection. The sponsor shall include the statement, "This course (seminar or program) is approved by the Public Health Council for continuing education contact hours toward the renewal of a New Jersey Health Officer license and a New Jersey Registered Environmental Health Specialist license" on the course announcement and the record of attendance.

1. Sponsors shall issue to each course attendee a certificate or similar formal record of attendance or instruction which shall include the course approval number, name of course, name of the sponsor, date(s) of the course and number of approved contact hours.

(f) Approval by the Public Health Council of a course, seminar, or program shall be considered valid for the calendar year of the dates of the course provided that the items identified at N.J.A.C. 8:7-1.16(b)remain unchanged during the time period.

(g) The Public Health Council shall review all courses, seminars, or programs. Upon evidence that the courses, seminars, or programs fail to meet the criteria set forth in N.J.A.C. 8:7-1.15(a) and /or in the sponsor's application as required in N.J.A.C. 8:7-1.16(b), the course shall not be granted approved status and the sponsor shall be required to reapply for approval.

(h) A list of approved courses shall be available upon request from the Public Health Council.

N.J. Admin. Code § 8:7-1.16

New Rule, R.1997 d.515, effective 12/1/1997.
See: 29 New Jersey Register 3789(a), 29 New Jersey Register 5076(a).
Amended by R.1998 d.568, effective 12/7/1998.
See: 30 New Jersey Register 3005(a), 30 New Jersey Register 4212(b).
In (a), substituted "or registered environmental health specialists" for "and/or for license renewal" following "officers" in the introductory paragraph, inserted a reference to the National Environmental Health Science and Protection Accreditation Council in 1, and rewrote 2; in (b), substituted a reference to 30 days for a reference to 60 days in the second sentence of the introductory paragraph, and rewrote 8 and 10; in (d), rewrote 1; and rewrote (e) and (f).
Modified by Executive Order No. 103(2020), effective 8/19/2021.
See: 53 N.J.R. 1657(a).
Notice of readoption with technical change, effective 1/3/2022.
See: 54 N.J.R. 52(a).