Rule 7.7 - Continuing Education(a) A certified guardian must complete at least 12 hours of approved continuing education during each certification period. The 12 hours must include a minimum of two hours of ethics and one hour of legislative update. In this rule, the term "certified guardian" includes a provisionally certified guardian.(b) The required hours must be earned prior to the expiration of the certified guardian's certification period.(c) A certified guardian may carry forward for the following certification period not more than four regular continuing education hours, not including ethics or legislative update hours, which were earned in excess of the 12 hours used to satisfy the continuing education requirements of the immediately previous certification period. Ethics hours and legislative update hours may not be carried forward from one certification period to another certification period even if the hours were earned in excess of the minimum requirements for ethics and legislative update hours.(d) A continuing education activity for a certified guardian must be an organized program of learning dealing with matters that are directly related to the guardianship profession, the services guardians provide, and the legal process involved in guardianship proceedings. A continuing education activity should increase participants' understanding of the Texas judicial system, the responsibilities of a certified guardian, and the certified guardian's impact on the judicial process and the public. (e) Continuing education activities for certified guardians must include one or more of the following subjects: (2) trust administration;(4) mental or physical health or geriatric health;(5) ethics for guardians, including cooperation with lawyers, judges, and fellow guardians and courtesy to all litigants;(6) Texas statutes, rules, and case law relevant to the guardianship profession;(7) the role and responsibilities of the certified guardian under the Estates Code, rules adopted by the Supreme Court relating to guardianship certification, and the Code of Ethics and Minimum Standards for Guardianship Services adopted by the Commission; and(8) management issues, including financial planning and accounting.(f) A certified guardian may request up to six hours of continuing education credit during each two-year certification period for teaching courses, speaking at seminars, or authoring books or articles related to the subject matter specified in (e). The certified guardian must submit an application for teaching credit on a form provided by the Commission. Credit for preparation and presentation may be provided on the basis of hour-for-hour credit for each hour spent preparing the article or book or making the presentation.Tex. R. Judi. Cert. Commi. 7.7
Amended effective 4/12/2018 immediately.