OAR 331-485-0005: Continuing Education Requirements

(1) To maintain authorization, a lactation consultant must complete a minimum of 5 hours of continuing education every authorization year. Of the required hours, at least one hour in cultural competency and at least one hour in trauma-informed care must be obtained within one year after initial licensure and once every five years thereafter. (2) Credit hours obtained in excess of those required for the one-year reporting period cannot be carried forward or used to reinstate an inactive authorization. (3) Continuing education for all authorization holders must address subject matter specific to the following domains: (a) Lactation consultation as defined in ORS 676.665; (b) Cultural competency, approved by the Oregon Health Authority, under ORS 413.450, and (c) Trauma-informed care. (4) Continuing education hours do not include travel time to or from the training site, registration or check-in periods, networking, introductions or welcome messages, orientation to the agenda, overviews of the day, breaks, lunches or wrap up of the day. (5) Self-study, research, authorship, or teaching does not count toward CE credit for renewal of the authorization. (6) At renewal each authorization holder must document compliance with the continuing education requirements through attestation on the authorization renewal application. (7) Continuing education requirements apply whether the applicant renewing authorization is living or working within Oregon or outside of the state, so long as Oregon authorization is maintained. (8) Continuing education requirements remain in effect during the time authorization is inactive. If an inactive authorization is renewed, authorization holder must attest to having fulfilled all continuing education hours required during the inactive time period. (9) Of the required 5 annual continuing education hours, after July 1, 2021, pursuant to 2019 House Bill 2011, at least one hour in cultural competency must be obtained: (a) Within one year of initial licensure, and every two years thereafter, unless the authorization holder is: (A) Retired and not practicing the profession in any state; (B) Not practicing the profession in this state; or (C) Residing in this state but not practicing the profession in any state. (b) If the authorization holder has an exemption from 2019 House Bill 2011 as outlined in (2)(a)(A-C), they must complete one hour of cultural competency continuing education within one year of initial licensure and then one hour every five years thereafter, pursuant to ORS 676.673. (c) Continuing education to satisfy the requirements of 2019 House Bill 2011 can be acquired through courses approved by: (A) Oregon Health Authority under ORS 413.450; or (B) IBLCE.