Sec. 10.26.02.05. Term, Renewal, Reinstatement, and Inactive Status

A. Unless renewed, the term of a license is valid through the expiration date.

B. Renewal.

(1) At least 1 month before a license expires, the Board shall send to the licensee a renewal notice that states the:

(a) Date on which the current license expires;

(b) Date by which the renewal application is to be received by the Board for the renewal to be issued and mailed before the license expires; and

(c) Amount of the renewal fee.

(2) Before a license expires, the licensee may renew if the licensee:

(a) Submits to the Board a completed renewal application on the form required by the Board along with documentation that the licensee meets the requirements for a license;

(b) Pays the renewal fee specified in COMAR 10.26.01.03; and

(c) If requested, submits to the Board documentation that the licensee has complied with the continuing education requirements established under §F of this regulation.

(3) A licensee shall keep the Board apprised of the licensee's current address and telephone number, or shall pay a fee as specified in COMAR 10.26.01.03H.

C. A licensee has a grace period of 30 days after the licensee's license expires to renew retroactively if the licensee:

(1) Otherwise is entitled to have the license renewed; and

(2) Pays to the Board the renewal fee and late fee set by the Board.

D. Reinstatement. Thirty days after the expiration date of a license, a licensee whose license has expired without seeking inactive status may have the license reinstated upon meeting all of the following:

(1) Submission of a completed reinstatement application on a form required by the Board;

(2) Payment of the reinstatement fee, and renewal fee, specified in COMAR 10.26.01; and

(3) One of the following:

(a) Thirty hours of continuing education for each renewal period the license has lapsed, not to exceed 60 hours; or

(b) Passage of the acupuncture exam given by the NCCAOM within 4 years from the date of reinstatement.

E. Inactive Status.

(1) The Board shall place a licensee on inactive status for a maximum period of 6 years if the licensee submits to the Board within 30 days after the expiration of a license:

(a) An application for inactive status on the form required by the Board; and

(b) The inactive status application fee specified in COMAR 10.26.01.

(2) To reactivate a license from inactive status, the applicant shall:

(a) Satisfy the renewal requirements in §B(2)(a) and (b) of this regulation that exist at the time the individual changes from inactive to active status; and

(b) Complete 30 hours of continuing education as specified under §F of this regulation.

F. Continuing Education.

(1) A licensee applying for renewal shall complete 30 hours of relevant continuing education during the 2-year period preceding the expiration of the license which include the following:

(a) At least 20 hours in formally organized programs which are relevant to the practice of acupuncture and Oriental medicine and are approved by the Board or sponsored by, but not limited to, the following organizations and their member organizations:

(i) American Academy of Medical Acupuncture;

(ii) American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AAAOM);

(iii) Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (CCAOM);

(iv) Colleges and universities accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM);

(v) National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM);

(vi) Society for Acupuncture Research; or

(vii) The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association;

(b) Not more than 10 hours of formally organized training programs in Western science and medical practices, medical ethics, medical research, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation which are relevant to the practice of acupuncture and are sponsored by, but not limited to, organizations listed in §F(1)(a) of this regulation and the following organizations:

(i) World Health Organization (WHO);

(ii) National Institutes of Health (NIH);

(iii) American Medical Association (AMA);

(iv) American Nurses Association (ANA);

(v) American Psychiatric Association (APA);

(vi) Red Cross;

(vii) Local colleges; or

(viii) Local hospitals;

(c) Not more than 10 hours of training in approved programs which will assist a licensee to carry out the licensee's professional responsibilities, including, but not limited to:

(i) Management courses for a school administrator;

(ii) Foreign language training for translators of relevant texts;

(iii) Educational methodology for teachers of acupuncture;

(d) Not more than 10 hours teaching acupuncture and related Oriental medical therapies in an accredited school or in a program approved for acupuncture continuing education;

(e) Not more than 7 hours of pro bono work as outlined in §F(3) of this regulation; or

(f) Not more than 7 hours in published writing or articles in acupuncture and Oriental medicine that are:

(i) Peer-reviewed research or peer-reviewed clinically relevant articles in acupuncture and Oriental medicine; and

(ii) Limited to 4 hours per article.

(2) Pro Bono Work.

(a) Pro bono work shall earn 1 credit hour for each 3 hours of pro bono activity up to a maximum of 7 credit hours per renewal cycle.

(b) Pro bono work shall be for the provision of acupuncture services provided through an organization offering humanitarian services such as, but not limited to:

(i) Domestic or international victims in an emergency situation or disaster area;

(ii) Low income or underserved areas or populations;

(iii) Special needs populations; or

(iv) United States military personnel.

(c) Upon completion of the pro bono work, the licensee shall obtain from the facility written documentation of completion of pro bono hours including:

(i) The name of the facility;

(ii) The address where the pro bono work was provided;

(iii) The type of work that was done;

(iv) The number of hours of actual work provided for which the licensee desires credit hours; and

(v) A statement guaranteeing that the work provided no financial benefit to licensee.

(3) Licensees shall maintain the documentation of their continuing education credits for 4 years from the date of their acupuncture renewal.

(4) If requested by the Board, a licensee shall provide proof of continuing education attendance by providing documentation of:

(a) Name of the program;

(b) Date of the program;

(c) Number of continuing education hours earned; and

(d) Name of the sponsoring organization.