Section 5.01 - Continuing Education Requirements(1) Licensed hearings instrument specialists are required, as a condition of license renewal, to complete a minimum of 20 contact hours of continuing education activities per continuing education period. (For lapsed, expired, suspended, revoked or surrendered licenses, see 265 CMR 3.02: Procedures for Renewal of a License and Renewal of a Lapsed/Expired License and 3.03: Procedures for Reinstatement of a License which has been Revoked, Suspended, Surrendered or Placed on Probation). A minimum of ten of the total required 20 hours must be obtained through Board-recognized continuing education programs. The remaining ten hours may be obtained through Board approved continuing education activities as set forth in 265 CMR 5.01(2)(2)Board-approved Continuing Education Activities.(a) Published books, chapters of published books and/or articles in refereed journals related to the science or practice of the dispensing of hearing instruments or the science of hearing aids, authored by the licensee, may be submitted for not more than ten of the total 20 contact hours of continuing education activities required per continuing education period. A maximum of three hours may be credited per book chapter or article.(b) Instructors of courses, workshops, or seminars may be credited one contact hour for each continuing education hour of the activity taught by the instructor, up to a maximum of ten of the required 20 hours of continuing education activity required per continuing education period.(c) Any one academic course related to the contemporary practice of dispensing hearing instruments or the science of hearing aids may be submitted for not more than ten of the 20 required hours of continuing education activity required per continuing education period.(d) Independent studies related to the science or practice of the dispensing of hearing instruments or the science of hearing aids approved by the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the Massachusetts Hearing Society or the Massachusetts Speech, Language and Hearing Association may be submitted for not more than ten of the 20 required hours of continuing education activity required per continuing education period.(3) Only those continuing education activities which are completed during the required continuing education period (24 months prior to each renewal date) will be acceptable as qualifying continuing education activities for that period.(4) All continuing education activities other than Board approved continuing education programs set forth in 265 CMR 5.02 are subject to approval by the Board.Amended by Mass Register Issue 1319, eff. 8/12/2016.