815 KAR 8:050. Continuing education requirements for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) license holders

      Section 1. Master HVAC Contractor Licensees. (1) Each Master HVAC Contractor shall provide proof of completion of at least eight (8) hours of approved continuing education prior to license renewal.

      (2) The required continuing education shall be completed by each licensee within the twelve (12) months preceding renewal except as provided in subsection (4) of this section.

      (3) Continuing education courses shall relate to one (1) or more of the following:

      (a) Business;

      (b) Job safety;

      (c) Codes relating to HVAC; and

      (d) Board- or board designee-approved subjects directly relating to the HVAC trade.

      (4) A licensed master HVAC contractor who accumulates more than the eight (8) hours of continuing education required annually may carry forward the excess credit hours into the two (2) successive educational years for the purpose of satisfying the minimum requirement for those two (2) years.

      (a) Carry forward credits shall be limited to a total of twelve (12) hours.

      (b) All excess credits above the total of twelve (12) hours shall remain on the licensed master HVAC contractor's records but shall not be carried forward.

      (5) A licensed master HVAC contractor teaching or participating as a panel member in an approved continuing education course for heating, ventilation or air conditioning shall be granted one (1) credit hour for each fifty (50) minutes of actual instruction time.

 

      Section 2. Journeyman HVAC Licensees. (1) Each journeyman shall provide proof of completion of at least eight (8) hours of approved continuing education prior to license renewal except as provided in subsection (5) of this section.

      (2) The required continuing education shall be completed by each licensee within the twelve (12) months preceding renewal.

      (3) Continuing education courses shall relate to one (1) or more of the following:

      (a) Business;

      (b) Job safety;

      (c) Codes relating to HVAC; and

      (d) Board- or board designee-approved subjects directly relating to the HVAC trade.

      (4) A maximum of four (4) hours of continuing education relating to job safety shall be allowed towards annual journeyman license renewal.

      (5) A licensed HVAC journeyman who accumulates more than the eight (8) hours of continuing education required annually may carry forward the excess credit hours into the two (2) successive educational years for the purpose of satisfying the minimum requirement for those two (2) years.

      (a) Carry forward credits shall be limited to a total of twelve (12) hours.

      (b) All excess credits above the total of twelve (12) hours shall remain on the licensed HVAC journeyman's records but shall not be carried forward.

      (6) A licensed HVAC journeyman teaching or participating as a panel member in an approved continuing education course for HVAC shall be granted one (1) credit hour for each fifty (50) minutes of actual instruction time.

 

      Section 3. Combined Master and Journeyman Licensees. An individual who is a holder of both a master and a journeyman license shall meet the continuing education requirements of Section 1 of this administrative regulation.

 

      Section 4. Inactive Master HVAC Contractor Licensees. (1) An inactive HVAC contractor shall not be required to complete continuing education to maintain inactive status.

      (2) If an inactive HVAC contractor wishes to activate his or her license to the status of an active HVAC contractor, he or she shall complete four (4) hours of current safety standards continuing education and four (4) hours of current mechanical code continuing education.

      (3) Proof of completion of continuing education requirements shall be submitted to the department prior to license reactivation.

 

      Section 5. Continuing Education Courses. (1) All continuing education required for master and journeyman license holders shall be completed in courses approved by the Kentucky Board of Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Contractors or its designee pursuant to 815 KAR 8:060.

      (2) Continuing education courses shall be offered only by providers approved by the Kentucky Board of Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Contractors or its designee pursuant to 815 KAR 8:060.

      (3) Continuing education courses shall be a minimum of two (2) hours. One (1) hour of class shall be equivalent to fifty (50) minutes of classroom instruction or approved online courses.

      (4) Online continuing education shall:

      (a) Meet all the requirements of this administrative regulation and of 815 KAR 8:060;

      (b) Be provided by a continuing education provider approved in accordance with 815 KAR 8:060;

      (c) Include a minimum of six (6) personal security questions, per course, consisting of:

      1. One (1) random security question at each log-in; and

      2. Remaining security questions at intervals not to exceed twenty (20) minutes;

      (d) Allow course participants access to the course for a minimum of thirty (30) days following receipt of payment for the course;

      (e) Be capable of storing course content questions as follows:

      1. Stored content questions shall equal 150 percent of the content questions required; and

      2. Duplicate questions shall not be permitted;

      (f) Require a minimum of four (4) content questions, chosen randomly from stored content questions, to be answered during each twenty (20) minutes of continuing education programming;

      (g) Make available online the course certificate of completion for twelve (12) months to any licensee who completes the online course, subject to the following:

      1. A passing score of seventy-five (75) percent correctly answered content questions shall be required before an applicant is eligible to receive a certificate of completion; and

      2. Notification of correct and incorrect answers shall not be permitted prior to completion of the online course; and

      (h) Retain a record of all course applications and completions for a minimum of three (3) years.

      (5) Continuing education courses offered by a provider not approved in accordance with 815 KAR 8:060 shall be approved by the board or its designee if the following are met:

      (a) Approval is requested by the individual license holder thirty (30) days in advance of course date;

      (b) A detailed syllabus of the course is provided with the request; and

      (c) The course is beneficial to licensees in the HVAC trade.

      (6) The board or its designee shall approve a request if the information has been submitted in accordance with subsection (5) of this section of this administrative regulation. The license holder shall provide an affidavit from the instructor verifying the hours of attendance. (36 Ky.R. 1400; Am. 1930; eff. 3-5-2010; 37 Ky.R. 862; Am. 1211; eff. 11-17-2010; 1453; 2134; eff. 4-4-2014.)

Notation

      RELATES TO: KRS 198B.658, 198B.660, 198B.664, 198B.672

      STATUTORY AUTHORITY: KRS 198B.654(1), 198B.684

      NECESSITY, FUNCTION, AND CONFORMITY: KRS 198B.654(1), requires the Kentucky Board of Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning to promulgate administrative regulations necessary to enforce the provisions of KRS 198B.650 to 198B.689. KRS 198B.684 authorizes the Kentucky Board of Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Contractors to promulgate an administrative regulation with standards for continuing education for licensees and certificate holders. This administrative regulation establishes continuing education requirements for HVAC license holders.