Section 275.1 - General Requirements(a) Number of hours required to renew. The Act requires each optometrist licensed in this state to take 32 hours of continuing education per two-year renewal cycle with at least 24 hours in the diagnosis or treatment of ocular disease. Additionally, the subject of at least two hours of the required 32 hours shall be professional responsibility as defined in subsection (b)(1)(H) of this section.
(b) Providers. (1) The Board has determined that the following providers who provide courses in subjects directly related to optometry may satisfy the criteria for acceptable continuing education hours and may be given automatic approval: (A) Courses sponsored by an optometry college or school accredited by the American Optometric Council on Education (ACOE);(B) Courses sponsored by the American Optometric Association (AOA) or an affiliate of the AOA;(C) Courses sponsored by the American Academy of Optometry (AAO) or an affiliate of AAO;(D) Courses accredited by the Council on Optometric Provider Education (COPE);(E) Courses sponsored and or approved by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission;(F) Courses sponsored by the American Board of Optometry;(G) Courses approved by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (AACME); and(H) Courses in professional responsibility given by a board accredited in-state college or school of optometry may be given approval if the course: (i) is made available as a live course in this state and on the internet; and(ii) includes the study of professional ethics, the Texas Optometry Act and Board Rules, judicious prescribing of dangerous drugs, pain management, or drug abuse by professionals.(2) Notwithstanding the automatic approvals contemplated in paragraph (1) of this subsection, the Board shall be entitled to reject individual courses.(c) Provider Approval. Continuing education providers who are not preapproved under subsection (b) of this section shall make application and submit required materials to the Board through the continuing education tracking system outlined in § 275.3 of this chapter (relating to Continuing Education Tracking System). Failure to utilize the Board's continuing education tracking system or submit any of the required materials shall be grounds to reject the application request. Provider applications may be approved by the Board upon recommendation from the Continuing Education Committee.(d) Renewal requirements. Licensees who have not complied with the education requirements may not be issued a renewal license unless such person is entitled to an exemption under §351.309 of the Act. The following persons are exempt: (1) a licensee under § 273.7 of this title (relating to Inactive Licenses); provided the licensee shall obtain 16 hours of Board approved continuing education prior to reactivating the license. At least 12 hours of the required 16 hours shall be in the diagnosis or treatment of ocular disease and one hour shall be professional responsibility as defined in subsection (b)(1)(H) of this section;(2) a licensee who served in the regular armed forces of the United States during part of the period immediately preceding the license renewal date; or(3) upon recommendation from the Continuing Education Committee and approval by the Board, a licensee who submits proof that the licensee suffered a serious or disabling illness or physical disability which prevented the licensee from complying with the requirements of this section during the license renewal period.(e) Availability. Approved courses must be available to all Texas licensed optometrists at a fee considered reasonable and nondiscriminatory.(f) Proof of Attendance. Proof of attendance and completion of approved courses must be supplied by the licensed optometrist to the Board through the continuing education tracking system outlined in § 275.3 of this chapter (relating to Continuing Education Tracking System). Approved providers of continuing education may submit proof of attendance and completion of approved courses on behalf of the licensed optometrist through the continuing education tracking system outlined in § 275.3 of this chapter. Information such as the following will be required: sponsoring organizations; location and dates; course names; instructors; names of attendee; number of education hours completed; and any other information deemed necessary by the Board.(g) Retired License Continuing Education. The holder of a retired license shall obtain 16 hours of Board approved continuing education prior to renewing the license. All of the hours may be obtained asynchronously. At least one half of these hours must be diagnostic/therapeutic as approved by the Board and one hour must be professional responsibility.
(h) Expired License Continuing Education. An applicant whose license has expired for one year or more shall obtain 16 hours of Board approved continuing education during the calendar year preceding the date of application. At least 12 hours of the required 16 hours shall be in the diagnosis or treatment of ocular disease and one hour shall be professional responsibility as defined in subsection (b)(1)(H) of this section. At least eight of the required hours must be in a live or synchronous format.(i) New Licensees Continuing Education. A new licensee is exempt from Board mandated continuing education for the remainder of the first calendar year of the initial license period. The new licensee is required to take 16 hours of continuing education during the second calendar year of the initial license period. At least 12 hours of the required 16 hours shall be in the diagnosis or treatment of ocular disease and one hour shall be professional responsibility as defined in subsection (b)(1)(H) of this section. At least eight of the required hours must be in a live or synchronous format. (j) Of the required 32 hours of continuing education, at least 16 hours must be in a live or synchronous format. A synchronous format means there is direct real-time audio-visual interaction between the licensee and the provider.22 Tex. Admin. Code § 275.1
The provisions of this §275.1 adopted to be effective August 11, 1983, 8 TexReg 2934; amended to be effective March 4, 1985, 10 TexReg 631; amended to be effective May 31, 1988, 13 TexReg 2317; amended to be effective January 1, 1994, 18 TexReg 5745; amended to be effective July 19, 1994, 19 TexReg 5169; amended to be effective May 17, 1996, 21 TexReg 3942; amended to be effective May 28, 1997, 22 TexReg 4362; amended to be effective February 11, 1998, 23 TexReg 1024; amended to be effective April 7, 2003, 28 TexReg 2924; amended to be effective December 6, 2005, 30 TexReg 8097; amended to be effective June 3, 2008, 33 TexReg 4302; amended to be effective December 24, 2009, 34 TexReg 9212; Amended by Texas Register, Volume 44, Number 22, May 31, 2019, TexReg 2713, eff. 6/4/2019; Amended by Texas Register, Volume 44, Number 49, December 6, 2019, TexReg 7543, eff. 12/9/2019; Adopted by Texas Register, Volume 46, Number 50, December 10, 2021, TexReg 8351, eff. 12/13/2021; Amended by Texas Register, Volume 49, Number 47, November 22, 2024, TexReg 9550, eff. 11/25/2024