237 CMR 17.00:MANDATORY CONTINUING EDUCATION (MCE)

Section 17.01: Requirements for Licensees

                17.02: Requirements for Continuing Education Providers and Seminars/Courses 17.01: Requirements for Licensees

                (1)Continuing Education Requirement.

                       (a)Except as otherwise provided in 237 CMR 17.01, each licensee of the Board, as a condition for license renewal, shall present                                 evidence satisfactory to the Board that, in the three-year period before license renewal, he or she has completed 21 clock                                   hours of continuing education.

                       (b)Of the required 21 clock hours, 15 clock hours shall be on topics related to 527 CMR 12.00: Massachusetts Electrical Code                                    (Amendments), business, law, and related topics with a Provider in an area of study approved by the Board. Courses offered                                 for Master Electricians and Journeyman Electricians shall focus on 527 CMR 12.00 and other laws and regulations as they pertain to Electrical Work. Courses for Systems Contractors and Systems Technicians shall focus on the applicable chapters  of 527 CMR 12.00, the adopted version of NFPA 72, and other laws and regulations as they pertain to Systems Work. The Board may require specific content to be contained in any approved courses. It shall be the licensee's responsibility to ensure that their Provider has been approved by the Board.

                       (c)Of the required 21 clock hours, six clock hours shall be in areas chosen by the licensee for professional development in the                                  subjects of Electrical Code, business, law, first aid, safety, Building Code, and related topics. Said instruction need not be                                     offered by a Board approved Provider.

                      (d)Notwithstanding the previous provisions of 237 CMR 17.01, Inspectors of Wires, appointed pursuant to M.G.L. c. 166, § 32,                                    electrical inspectors/ investigators employed by the Division of Professional Licensure, and licensed members of the Board,                                shall complete the required 15 hours of mandatory continuing education within the first year of the release of the updated edition of 527 CMR 12.00: Massachusetts Electrical Code (Amendments) as a condition of license renewal.

                      (e)In addition to the 21 hours for renewal as provided, each Inspector of Wires appointed pursuant to the provisions of M.G.L. c.                             166, § 32 shall complete in each license cycle six hours of continuing education in courses approved by the Board (for a total                                of 27 clock hours). The Board may designate one or more associations of Inspectors of Wires or other Providers to offer these courses.

                (2)Extensions and Exemptions from Continuing Education Requirement. The Board may, at its discretion, consider a written                                      request for an extension or exemption from the deadlines for the continuing education requirement under the following                                    circumstances:

                      (a)Illness or Disability. A request for an extension based on illness, disability, or other medically-related condition, shall be in                                     writing, under oath, and accompanied by a letter addressed to the Board, written and signed by a licensed medical doctor,                                   stating the nature of the licensee's medical condition and the correlation between that condition and the licensee's inability to work in any trade capacity, as well as to complete the required continuing education within the required period.

                     (b)Exemption of 15/Six Hour Programs. Instructors who teach two 15 clock-hour seminars/courses and/or two six-hour                                               professional development courses per cycle shall be deemed to have met the continuing education requirements.

                      (c)Issuance of License 90 Days Preceding Renewal Date. Any holder of a Journeyman Electrician or Systems Technician license                                 issued by the Board following examination or by reciprocity during the 90 days preceding the license renewal date shall be                                   exempt from the continuing education requirement for the license renewal cycle in effect at the time of licensure.

                    (3)Failure to Complete Continuing Education Requirement. Any licensee who does not complete the required hours of                                                continuing education shall not be eligible for license renewal. A licensee who misrepresents completion of continuing                                            education in a license renewal shall be subject to disciplinary action which could include fines and/or license suspension or                                  revocation.

                     (4)Reinstatement of Lapsed Licenses. A licensee who allows their license to lapse beyond 90 days, who did not complete their                                continuing education prior to their license expiration, shall not be eligible to reinstate their license until they complete the                                  latest Board approved version of the 15 hour continuing education course and a six hour professional development course. In                            addition to the above requirements, if a license has been expired for more than three years (one license cycle), even if                                            originally obtained by reciprocity, the former licensee shall be required to pass the Massachusetts examination for the license they previously held in order to reinstate their license.

                    (5)Certificate/Documentation.

                          (a)Upon successful completion of the 15 clock hours of continuing education, each licensee shall receive from their CEP a                                           certificate of completion. Each licensee shall retain such documentation for ten years, and shall furnish it to the Board for                                   verification of completion of the required continuing education if so requested. This requirement shall not be deemed to waive the requirement that CEP's also maintain records as required in 237 CMR 17.00.

                          (b)Upon successful completion of the six clock hours of professional development, each licensee shall receive from the                                                sponsor a certificate of completion as covered in 237 CMR 17.02(3)(b). Each licensee shall retain such documentation for                                      ten years and shall furnish it to the Board for verification of completion of the professional development if so requested.

                           (c)Appointed Inspectors of Wires pursuant to M.G.L. c. 166, § 32 shall provide to the Board successful completion and                                                  documentation of the required 27 clock hours of mandatory continuing education and certification programs as required                                      by the Board pursuant to these regulations indicating qualification for initial or continuing appointment as an Inspector of Wires.

            17.02: Requirements for Continuing Education Providers and Seminars/Courses

                             (1)CEP's Must Be Board Approved. The Board may withdraw its approval of any provider or course for good cause shown.

                             (2)CEP's shall notify the Board in writing of any change of his or her instructors within ten days of the change.

                                   (a)All course instructors, whether teaching independently or employed by an approved provider, shall be                                                                         Massachusetts licensed electricians.

                                   (b)CEP's shall attend any Board-sponsored seminars/courses on the proper content, administrative procedures and                                                      data transfer.

                             (3)Seminar/Course Sponsors Records.

                                   (a)CEP's shall maintain for a period of ten years complete and accurate records on each licensee who has completed                                                     continuing education;

                                   (b)Certificate of Completion of Continuing Education Seminar/Course. CEP's shall provide attendees certificates of                                                       completion which contain the following:

                                          1.CEP number;

                                          2.CEP name and Massachusetts license number;

                                          3.Instructor signature signed under pains and penalties of perjury;

                                          4.Date of course and hours completed;

                                          5.CEP contact phone number;

                                          6.Name of attendee and license number(s).

                                    (c)Certificate of Completion of Professional Development Seminar/Course. As the Board generally does not approve                                                   Professional Development sponsors, Licensees shall be solely responsible for obtaining certificates of completion                                                   from their sponsor for any Professional Development seminars/courses taken. Such certificates of completion must                                               contain the following:

 

                                          1.Subject matter;

                                          2.Date of course and hours completed;

                                          3.Course Sponsor's name;

                                          4.Speakers name;

                                          5.Name of attendee.

                                    (d)CEP's shall maintain in electronic medium the names, license number(s), of all licensees attending the continuing                                                      education seminar(s). A copy of such shall be submitted to the Board within ten working days of the completion date                                              of such seminar.

                                     (4)Falsification of any information relating to the requirements of 237 CMR 17.00 by a CEP shall be grounds for the                                                      withdrawal of Board approval of the CEP and, where Board licensee(s) are found to be involved, the initiation of                                                      formal disciplinary proceedings against such licensee(s).

                                     (5)Renewal of application for providership shall be submitted on a prescribed form or other medium acceptable to the                                                 Board for its review and approval not later than 90 days prior to the adoption of an Electrical Code.

REGULATORY AUTHORITY

237 CMR 17.00: M.G.L. c. 141, § 2.