WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE
2024 REGULAR SESSION
ENGROSSED
House Bill 5551
By Delegate Winzenreid [Introduced February 9, 2024; Referred to the Committee on Government Organization]
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1 A BILL to amend and reenact §30-1-7a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to
2 requiring social workers, psychologists, and professional counselors to complete
3 continuing education requirement on domestic violence or abuse.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
ARTICLE 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO ALL STATE BOARDS OF
EXAMINATION OR REGISTRATION REFERRED TO IN CHAPTER.
§30-1-7a. Continuing education.
1 (a) A board referred to in this chapter shall establish continuing education requirements as
2 a prerequisite to license renewal. A board shall develop continuing education criteria appropriate
3 to its discipline, which shall include, but not be limited to, course content, course approval, hours
4 required, and reporting periods.
5 (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, a person issued an initial license to
6 practice medicine and surgery, a license to practice podiatry or licensed as a physician assistant
7 by the West Virginia Board of Medicine; a person issued a license to practice dentistry by the West
8 Virginia Board of Dental Examiners; a person issued a license to practice optometry by the West
9 Virginia Board of Optometry, a person licensed as a pharmacist by the West Virginia Board of
10 Pharmacy; a person licensed to practice registered professional nursing or licensed as an
11 advanced nurse practitioner by the West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional
12 Nurses; a person licensed as a licensed practical nurse by the West Virginia State Board of
13 Examiners for Licensed Practical Nurses; and a person licensed to practice medicine and surgery
14 as an osteopathic physician and surgeon, or licensed or certified as an osteopathic as physician
15 assistant by the West Virginia Board of Osteopathy shall complete drug diversion training, best-
16 practice prescribing of controlled substances training, and training on prescribing and
17 administering an opioid antagonist if that person prescribes, administers, or dispenses a
18 controlled substance as that term is defined in §60A-1-101 of this code.
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19 A person who receives his or her initial license or certificate from any of the boards set forth
20 in this section shall complete the continuing education requirements set forth in this section within
21 one year of receiving his or her initial license from that board.
22 (c) Within two years of licensure, a person licensed as a social worker, psychologist, or
23 professional counselor shall complete a one-time continuing education course on domestic
24 violence or abuse.
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Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 30-1-7a
Engrossed Version: 30-1-7a