(a) Any organization seeking approval as an accrediting agency shall submit an application to the Department which shall include documentation of the following:
(1) The organization's name, address, and owner(s);
(2) The organization's structure, function, and philosophy for monitoring the content, quality, and faculty of approved programs; and,
(3) The person designated by the organization to be responsible for overseeing the administration and coordination of all continuing education providers approved by the organization.
(b) The Department's review of an accrediting agency shall include an evaluation of the following:
(1) Whether the organization's philosophy shows an identifiable commitment to continuing education;
(2) Whether the organization's mechanism for monitoring the content, faculty, education methods, quality, and facilities of approved providers meets the criteria of section 1038.4; and,
(3) Effective mechanisms for responding to complaints about approved providers and the ability to take effective action to ensure that approved providers comply with sections 1038.6 and 1038.7.
(c) The Department shall approve an organization as an accrediting agency and issue an approval upon satisfactory review under subsections (a) and (b). Such approval may be subject to special terms as specified by the Department.
(d) Within 30 calendar days of receipt of an application by an organization for approval as an accrediting agency, the Department shall inform the organization in writing that the application is either complete and accepted for review or that it is deficient and what specific information or documentation is required to complete the application.
(e) Within 30 calendar days from the date of filing of a completed application, the Department shall inform the applicant organization in writing whether the organization has been approved as an accrediting agency.
(f) The Department's time periods for processing an application for approval as an accrediting agency, from the receipt of the initial application to the final decision regarding the approval, are as follows:
(1) The median time for processing is 60 calendar days.
(2) The minimum time for processing is 45 calendar days.
(3) The maximum time for processing is 90 calendar days.
(g) An accrediting agency shall maintain for five years and shall make available to the Department, the name of each approved provider, the title, date, and number of contact hours awarded for each program offered by its approved providers, and a list of all participants in each program offered.
(h) An accrediting agency shall be subject to review by the Department to determine adherence to requirements of this article. Failure of an accrediting agency to meet the requirements of this article or its terms of approval is good cause for revocation of approval by the Department.
Credits
Note: Authority cited: Sections 1224 and 1275, Business and Professions Code; and Section 208, Health and Safety Code. Reference: Section 1275, Business and Professions Code.
History
1. New section filed 1-28-94; operative 1-28-94 pursuant to Government Code section 11346.2(d) (Register 94, No. 4).
2. Change without regulatory effect renumbering former section 1038.5 to section 1038.2 and renumbering former section 1038.2 to section 1038.5, including amendment of subsections (b)(2)-(3), filed 10-10-2022 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2022, No. 41).
This database is current through 4/26/24 Register 2024, No. 17.
