N.J. Admin. Code § 7:26I-4.4

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 21, November 4, 2024

Section 7:26I-4.4 - Board approval of continuing education programs

(a) In order for the Board to approve a continuing education program for continuing education credits, the Board shall find that the program:

1. Has significant intellectual, educational, or practical content;

2. Has as the primary purpose to increase each participant's professional competence as an LSRP;

3. Is developed and conducted by a person or persons the Board deems qualified, based on practical and academic experience; and

4. Constitutes an organized program of learning that includes subject matter related to the:

i. Regulation of site remediation;

ii. Scientific and technical principles of site remediation;

iii. Ethical obligations of LSRPs; and/or

iv. Individual professional development of LSRPs.

(b) In addition to the requirements at (a) above:

1. Continuing education approved for ethics credit shall have educational content that is designed to advance the LSRP's understanding of the tenets of ethical conduct with respect to the provision of professional services as an LSRP in New Jersey. Approvable ethics credit shall include education regarding the differences between ethical and unethical behavior and shall incorporate the rules of professional conduct of LSRPs found in the SRRA and this chapter with direct examples of situations that an LSRP may face during performance of his or her duties at contaminated sites in New Jersey;

2. Continuing education approved for regulatory credit shall have educational content that is designed to advance the ability of an LSRP to competently perform, supervise, and coordinate site remediation in New Jersey in compliance with applicable statutes, rules, and guidance. Approvable regulatory credit shall include education regarding understanding and complying with the broad range of statutory and regulatory requirements applicable to site remediation in New Jersey;

3. Continuing education approved for scientific and technical credit shall have educational content that is designed to advance the ability of an LSRP to competently perform, supervise, and coordinate the scientific and technical components of site remediation. Approvable scientific and technical credit shall include education regarding site remediation, although it may include more general scientific and technical principles if they are clearly relevant to the scientific and technical components of site remediation; and

4. Continuing education approved for individual professional development credit shall have educational content that is designed to advance the ability of an LSRP to provide professional services. Approvable individual professional development credit shall include education regarding professional practice of LSRPs, including, but not limited to, project management, communication, both written and verbal, preparation of written reports, use of databases, and preparation of the technical components of proposals and scopes of work.

(c) The provider of a continuing education program or an LSRP may request Board approval of a continuing education program by submitting the application found on the Board website at www.nj.gov/lsrpboard. The applicant shall submit a completed application within 90 days after the program was held for the first time, or for an LSRP, within 90 days after attending the program. Such application shall include, but not be limited to:

1. A full description of the program, including the title, name of the provider, and date(s), time(s), and location(s) that the program will be or was offered;

2. The number and type of continuing education credits requested;

3. A written outline or syllabus of the continuing education content;

4. A written statement describing the continuing education and establishing its relevance to the regulation of site remediation, scientific and technical principles of site remediation, ethical obligations of LSRPs in New Jersey, and/or individual professional development of LSRPs in New Jersey;

5. The credentials of the instructor(s);

6. A statement that the provider will or did:

i. Utilize sign-in and sign-out sheets to verify attendance;

ii. Maintain the sign-in and sign-out sheets for a minimum of seven years; and

iii. Provide the sign-in and sign-out sheets to the Board for inspection at the Board's request;

7. A statement that the provider will or did provide certificates of attendance to each attendee no later than 30 days after successful completion of the continuing education program;

8. A statement that the provider will or did, at the completion of the continuing education program, conduct and retain for the Board's inspection for a period of three years a confidential evaluation of the continuing education and the continuing education instructor(s);

9. A statement that the provider will or did allow the Board or its authorized representatives, without charge or need for advance registration or notice, to monitor the program without earning any continuing education credits;

10. For an in-person attendance format program, a statement describing the provider's policy on partial credit when an attendee misses a portion of the continuing education program; and

11. For an alternative verifiable learning format program, an examination or other mechanism that the Board shall approve on an individual basis that an LSRP taking the program shall successfully complete in order to verify attendance and thereby earn continuing education credits; and

12. For a large format conference that does not utilize sign-in and sign-out sheets, an affidavit from the LSRP applying for continuing education credit for attending the conference that enumerates the continuing education programs attended, the number of hours in 0.5hour increments that the LSRP spent in each continuing education program, and the type of continuing education credit that is appropriate for each continuing education program.

(d) At any time during its review of an application, the Board may require the applicant to supplement the application with additional information as the Board may specify.

(e) The Board shall determine the number and type(s) of continuing education credits to approve for each continuing education program on an individual basis.

(f) The Board shall post on the Board website at www.nj.gov/lsrpboard, a table of each Board-approved continuing education program and the number and type(s) of continuing education credits approved for each program.

N.J. Admin. Code § 7:26I-4.4

Adopted by 48 N.J.R. 45(a), effective 1/4/2016

Amended by 55 N.J.R. 2324(b), effective 11/20/2023