Board directs staff to develop CE rule to award continuing education for attending meetings

The California Acupuncture Board voted to direct staff to develop a regulatory proposal allowing licensees to earn continuing education (CE) credit for attending board meetings, using the Board of Pharmacy’s approach as a starting point.

Policy Coordinator Christine Brothers presented research on how other California healing-arts boards treat board-meeting attendance for CE credit. She told the board that programs vary: the Board of Pharmacy allows up to six hours per renewal cycle, the Respiratory Care Board allows five hours, and the Physical Therapy Board allows up to eight hours but usually offers two hours per meeting. Brothers said some boards record hour-for-hour attendance while others cap the total per renewal period and require sign-in procedures or certificates for verification.

Board members and public commenters raised logistical questions about how to authenticate attendance, whether remote participants would receive the same credit as in-person attendees, and whether certain meeting subjects (for example, ethics or disciplinary hearings) should be eligible for specific types of CE credit. Several board members cautioned that awarding ethics credit requires care because board meetings sometimes include discussion of matters outside the board’s regulatory authority and because meeting attendance is not a structured classroom environment. Members suggested practical verification options such as sign-in/out sheets, a post-meeting survey, intermittent video verification for remote attendees, or a certificate issued after staff verification.

Public commenters — including the California Acupuncture Coalition and representatives from schools and professional associations — generally supported the idea, saying CE credit would increase practitioner engagement and provide educational opportunities for students and new practitioners. Some suggested partnering with schools or associations to manage attendance verification.

After discussion, a motion passed to “direct staff to work to develop a CE regulation regarding attendance at board meetings using the Board of Pharmacy’s regulation as a starting point and to authorize staff to make adjustments as it sees fit.” The motion was seconded and passed on a roll call (all board members voting yes). No final CE rule was adopted that day; staff will return with draft regulatory language and an analysis of administrative impacts at a later meeting.