Continuing education providers.

(1) Each continuing education provider shall provide to the department such information regarding the continuing education status of licensees as the department determines is necessary to carry out its duties under s. 455.2177, in an electronic format determined by the department. After a licensee’s completion of a course, the information must be submitted to the department electronically no later than 30 calendar days thereafter. However, the continuing education provider shall electronically report to the department completion of a licensee’s course within 10 business days beginning on the 30th day before the renewal deadline or prior to the renewal date, whichever occurs sooner. The foregoing applies only if the profession has not been granted a waiver from the monitoring requirements under s. 455.2177. Upon the request of a licensee, the provider must also furnish to the department information regarding courses completed by the licensee.

(2) Each continuing education provider shall retain all records relating to a licensee’s completion of continuing education courses for at least 4 years after completion of a course.

(3) A continuing education provider may not be approved, and the approval may not be renewed, unless the provider agrees in writing to provide such cooperation under this section and s. 455.2177 as the department deems necessary or appropriate.

(4) The department may fine, suspend, or revoke approval of any continuing education provider that fails to comply with its duties under this section. Such fine may not exceed $500 per violation. Investigations and prosecutions of a provider’s failure to comply with its duties under this section shall be conducted pursuant to s. 455.225.

(5) For the purpose of determining which persons or entities must meet the reporting, record-keeping, and access provisions of this section, the board of any profession subject to this section, or the department if there is no board, shall, by rule, adopt a definition of the term “continuing education provider” applicable to the profession’s continuing education requirements. The intent of the rule shall be to ensure that all records and information necessary to carry out the requirements of this section and s. 455.2177 are maintained and transmitted accordingly and to minimize disputes as to what person or entity is responsible for maintaining and reporting such records and information.

(6) The department may adopt rules under ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement this section.