a. Hours Must be Earned During Calendar Year. Unless an exemption request, as provided for in Section 1503.1 of Title 20 of the Oklahoma Statutes, has been approved by the Board, the required number of continuing education hours must be earned during the calendar year, defined as January 1 through December 31. Failure to obtain the requisite number of continuing education hours on or before December 31 of the year in which they are required shall result in a continuing education penalty fee. The amount of the continuing education penalty fee shall be set by the Board, with the approval of the Supreme Court.

b. Annual Continuing Education Compliance Report. On or before February 15 of each year, all court reporters required to earn continuing education hours shall file a compliance report documenting the previous year's continuing education, on a form to be provided by the Board, through the office of the Administrative Director of the Courts. If the compliance report includes any continuing education hours which were earned after December 31 of the previous year, the report shall be accompanied by payment of the continuing education penalty fee. In no case may continuing education hours be used for more than one calendar year's compliance report.

c. Due Date. The continuing education compliance report, and any applicable continuing education penalty fee, must be submitted to the office of the Administrative Director of the Courts on or before February 15 of each year. No fewer than fourteen (14) days before February 15, the Board shall send notification to those court reporters who have not fulfilled the continuing education requirement for the previous year and/or submitted the continuing education compliance report. Such notification shall be sent by certified mail to the last known address of the reporter as provided to the Secretary of the Board or the Administrative Office of the Courts.

d. Suspension. Failure to earn the required continuing education hours, to submit a completed compliance report, and/or to pay any applicable continuing education penalty fee on or before February 15 shall result in administrative suspension on that date. In such case, the Board shall provide a list to the Supreme Court of those court reporters and shall recommend the suspension of each court reporter's certificate. The order of the Supreme Court approving the recommendation of the Board shall operate to suspend the certificate of the court reporter without necessity of a hearing. Such suspension shall be effective on February 15 of that year. The court reporter shall be notified of the suspension by certified mail to the last known address of the reporter as provided to the Secretary of the Board or the Administrative Office of the Courts.

e. Continuing Education Suspension Fee. Any court reporter whose certificate has been suspended for failure to earn the required number of continuing education hours, to submit a completed compliance report, and/or to pay any applicable penalty fee on or before February 15 shall be subject to a continuing education suspension fee. The amount of the continuing education suspension fee shall be set by the Board, with the approval of the Supreme Court.

f. Revocation. Within two (2) months of the administrative suspension, but not later than April 15 of that year, a suspended certificate may be administratively reinstated, without need for application or hearing, by submission of a completed compliance report indicating fulfillment of all continuing education requirements for the previous calendar year, payment of any applicable penalty fee, and payment of the continuing education suspension fee. A suspended certificate which has not been reinstated on or before April 15 shall be administratively revoked on that date. In such case, the Board shall provide a list to the Supreme Court of those court reporters and shall recommend the revocation of each court reporter's certificate. The order of the Supreme Court approving the recommendation of the Board shall operate to revoke the certificate of the court reporter without necessity of a hearing. Such revocation shall be effective on April 15 of that year. The court reporter shall be notified of the revocation by certified mail to the last known address of the reporter as provided to the Secretary of the Board or the Administrative Office of the Courts.

g. Date of Submission. For purposes of this Rule, the continuing education compliance report and any required penalty fee or suspension fee shall be considered submitted to the office of the Administrative Director of the Courts on the date the materials are received in the Administrative Office of the Courts. In all instances where the date of submission is at issue, the court reporter shall have the burden of proving the date the materials were received in the Administrative Office of the Courts. Though it may consider other proof, the Board will accept the following as conclusive proof of the date of receipt: a return receipt of delivery for registered or certified mail from the United States Postal Service; a completed certificate of delivery from a private delivery or courier service other than the United States Postal Service; or the date the materials are stamped received in the office of the Administrative Director.

h. Administrative Procedure. Administrative suspension and revocation of a court reporter's certificate for noncompliance with continuing education requirements shall be accomplished as set forth in this Rule. Bona fide hardship exceptions may be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Board. The formal procedures provided for by the Rules Governing Disciplinary Proceedings of the State Board of Examiners of Certified Shorthand Reporters, including the notice and hearing requirements, have no application to administrative suspensions and revocations based solely on failure to meet continuing education requirements.

i. Reinstatement after Revocation. Any court reporter who has had his or her certificate revoked pursuant to this Rule may seek reinstatement only as set forth in Rule 10 of the Rules Governing Disciplinary Proceedings of the State Board of Examiners of Certified Shorthand Reporters.