                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS; PROMULGATION OF REGULATIONS (§ 54.1-2816.1)

A. The Board shall promulgate regulations governing continuing education
requirements for funeral services licensees, funeral directors, and embalmers
licensed by the Board.

B. The Board shall approve criteria for continuing education courses, requiring
no more than five hours per year, that are directly related to the respective
license and scope of practice of funeral service licensees, funeral directors,
and embalmers. Approved continuing education courses shall include one hour per
year covering compliance with federal or state laws and regulations governing
the profession or one hour per year covering preneed funeral arrangements,
provided that at least one hour of continuing education in preneed is completed
every three years. Course providers may be required to register continuing
education courses with the Board pursuant to Board regulations. The Board shall
not allow continuing education credit for courses where the principal purpose of
the course is to promote, sell, or offer goods, products, or services to funeral
homes.

C. All course providers shall furnish written certification to licensees of the
Board attending and completing respective courses, indicating the satisfactory
completion of an approved continuing education course. Each course provider
shall retain records of all persons attending and those persons satisfactorily
completing such continuing education courses for a period of two years following
each course. Applicants for renewal or reinstatement of licenses issued pursuant
to this article shall retain for a period of two years the written certification
issued by any Board-approved provider of continuing education courses. The Board
may require course providers or licensees to submit copies of such records or
certification, as it deems necessary, to ensure compliance with continuing
education requirements.

D. The Board shall have the authority to grant exemptions or waivers in cases of
certified illness or undue hardship.

E. The Board may provide for an inactive status for those licensees who do not
practice in Virginia. The Board may adopt regulations reducing or waiving
continuing education requirements for any licensee granted such inactive status.
However, no licensees granted inactive status may have their license changed to
active status without first obtaining additional continuing education hours as
may be determined by the Board. No person or registrant shall practice in
Virginia as an embalmer, funeral director, or funeral service licensee unless he
holds a current, active license.

HISTORY: 2002, c. 270; 2008, c. 396; 2012, c. 497; 2022, c. 170.