Florida Senate - 2021                                    SB 1676
       
       
        
       By Senator Diaz
       
       
       
       
       
       36-00731A-21                                          20211676__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to continuing chiropractic education;
    3         amending s. 460.408, F.S.; deleting a requirement that
    4         chiropractic continuing education be completed in a
    5         classroom setting; authorizing the Board of
    6         Chiropractic Medicine to rescind approval for
    7         continuing education courses and impose disciplinary
    8         action, if appropriate; prohibiting the board from
    9         requiring licensees to enroll in only preapproved
   10         courses to satisfy continuing education requirements;
   11         requiring the board to approve distance learning
   12         courses to satisfy continuing education requirements;
   13         prohibiting the board from limiting the number of
   14         hours and type of continuing education courses a
   15         chiropractic physician may complete through distance
   16         learning; authorizing the board to make exceptions to
   17         continuing education requirements during a declared
   18         state of emergency in this state; specifying who may
   19         teach board-approved continuing education courses;
   20         requiring, rather than authorizing, the board to adopt
   21         rules; providing an effective date.
   22          
   23  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   24  
   25         Section 1. Section 460.408, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   26  read:
   27         460.408 Continuing chiropractic education.—
   28         (1) The board shall require licensees to periodically
   29  demonstrate their professional competence as a condition of
   30  renewal of a license by completing up to 40 contact classroom
   31  hours of continuing education.
   32         (a) Continuing education courses sponsored by chiropractic
   33  colleges whose graduates are eligible for examination under any
   34  provision of this chapter may be approved upon review by the
   35  board if all other requirements of board rules setting forth
   36  criteria for course approval are met.
   37         (b) The board shall approve those courses that build upon
   38  the basic courses required for the practice of chiropractic
   39  medicine, and the board may also approve courses in adjunctive
   40  modalities. Courses that consist of instruction in the use,
   41  application, prescription, recommendation, or administration of
   42  a specific company’s brand of products or services are not
   43  eligible for approval. The board may rescind course approval and
   44  impose disciplinary action, if appropriate. However, the board
   45  may not require licensees to enroll in only those courses that
   46  have been preapproved by the board to satisfy continuing
   47  education requirements under this section.
   48         (c) The board shall approve continuing education courses
   49  offered in a distance learning format, including synchronous and
   50  asynchronous forms of distance learning, as an alternative to
   51  classroom courses which may be used to satisfy continuing
   52  education requirements under this section.
   53         (d) The board may not limit the number or type of approved
   54  continuing education hours that may be completed through
   55  distance learning.
   56         (2) The board may provide exceptions to make exception from
   57  the requirements of this section in emergency or hardship cases
   58  and during a declared state of emergency in this state.
   59         (3) A course may be taught by any of the following:
   60         (a) A person holding a doctoral degree in chiropractic
   61  medicine, with a minimum of 3 years of chiropractic practice and
   62  a minimum of 3 years’ experience in the subject matter taught,
   63  or a person holding a terminal degree, with a minimum of 3 years
   64  of related practice and a minimum of 3 years’ experience in the
   65  subject matter taught.
   66         (b) A current faculty member of a chiropractic college or
   67  school approved by the board, or a current faculty member of a
   68  medical or osteopathic college or university accredited by an
   69  accrediting agency recognized by the Council for Higher
   70  Education Accreditation or its successor or the United States
   71  Department of Education.
   72         (c) A postgraduate level instructor of a chiropractic
   73  college or school approved by the board, or a postgraduate level
   74  instructor of a medical or osteopathic college or university
   75  accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the Council
   76  for Higher Education Accreditation or its successor or the
   77  United States Department of Education.
   78         (4) The board shall may adopt rules necessary to implement
   79  this section within the requirements of this section that are
   80  necessary for its implementation.
   81         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2021.