CONTINUING EDUCATION.

(a) To protect the public and to preserve and improve the competence of license holders, the department shall require as a condition of holding a title insurance agent license that the license holder enroll in and attend or teach continuing education consisting of class instruction, lectures, seminars, or other forms of education approved by the department for title insurance agents.

(b) The department shall prescribe the required number of hours of continuing education, not to exceed 15 hours in each two-year license period.

(c) Continuing education instruction must be designed to refresh the license holder's understanding of:

(1) basic principles and coverages relating to title insurance;

(2) recent and prospective changes in those principles and coverages;

(3) applicable rules of the commissioner and laws;

(4) the proper conduct of the license holder's business; and

(5) the duties and responsibilities of the license holder.

(d) The department may permit a license holder to complete an equivalent course of study and instruction by mail if, because of the remote location of the license holder's residence or business, the license holder is unable to attend educational sessions with reasonable convenience.

(e) On written request by the license holder, the department may extend the time for the license holder to comply with the requirements of this section or may exempt the license holder from all or part of the requirements for a license period if the department determines that the license holder is unable to comply with the requirements because of illness, medical disability, or another extenuating circumstance beyond the control of the license holder. The commissioner shall prescribe the criteria for an extension or exemption by rule.

(f) The commissioner shall adopt rules to administer this section.