Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. Department 580 — Georgia Board of Registered Professional Sanitarians

Chapter 580-1 Organization

Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 580-1-.01 Organization of Board

The Georgia Board of Registered Professional Sanitarians consists of seven members appointed by the Governor for a term of three years. The Board elects its own president and vice-president; and, its secretary shall be the Joint Secretary of the Examining Boards Division of the Office of Secretary of State. Any member of the public desiring information regarding the Board or its activities should contact the Joint Secretary at 166 Pryor Street, S.W., Atlanta, Georgia 30303.

History

• Authority: O.C.G.A. Sec. 43-42-2
• History. Administrative Original Rule entitled "Organization of Board" was filed on December 22, 1978; effective January 11, 1979.
• Amended: Rule amended by changing the Authority for same from "Ga. L. 1977, pp. 1108, 1111-1114" to "Ga. L. 1977, pp. 1108-1122; Ga. L. 1980, pp. 1459-1465." FiledMay 21, 1981; effective June 10, 1981.
• Amended: Rule repealed and a new Rule of the same title adopted. FiledNovember 15, 1983; effective December 5, 1983.
• Amended: Filed October 28, 1985; effective November 17, 1985.

Chapter 580-2 Fees

Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 580-2-.01 Fees

Fees shall be as follows:

Application for Examination $20.00

Examination Fee $40.00

Reexamination Fee $10.00 per part (not to exceed $40.00)

Application for Reciprocity $20.00

Reciprocal License $50.00

Biennial Renewal $70.00

Late Renewal $80.00

Reinstatement $140.00

Duplicate License $10.00

History

• Authority: O.C.G.A. Sec. 43-1-7
• History. Administrative Original Rule entitled "Fees" was filed on December 22, 1978; effective January 11, 1979.
• Amended: Rule repealed and a new Rule of the same title adopted. Filed April 21, 1980; effective May 11, 1980.
• Amended: Filed March 25, 1982; effective April 14, 1982.
• Amended: Rule repealed and a new Rule of the same title adopted. Filed November 15, 1983; effective December 5, 1983.
• Amended: Rule repealed and a new Rule of the same title adopted. Filed January 29, 1986; effective February 18, 1986.

Chapter 580-3 Procedural Rules

Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 580-3-.01 Procedural Rules

The Georgia Board of Registered Professional Sanitarians hereby adopts by reference as its permanent rules Chapters 295-3 through 295-13, and any future amendments thereto, Rules and Regulations of the Office of the Joint Secretary, State Examining Boards, relating to procedure for hearings before the several State Examining Boards.

History

• Authority: Ga. L. 1977, pp. 1108-1122
• History. Administrative Original Rule entitled "Procedural Rules" was filed on December 22, 1978; effective January 11, 1979.
• Amended: Rule amended by changing the Authority for said Rule from "Ga. L. 1977, pp. 1108, 1115" to "Ga. L. 1977, pp. 1108-1122." Filed May 21, 1981; effective June 10, 1981.

Chapter 580-4 Standards of Procedure

Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 580-4-.01 License Renewal

(1) All registrations shall expire on the 30th of June each odd numbered year.

(2) Renewal Notice--At least sixty (60) calendar days prior to the expiration of the registration, the Office of the Joint Secretary shall send a notice to those currently registered; such notice to contain a statement concerning the impending expiration and requesting the submission of a renewal fee set by the Board. The notice shall also contain a statement concerning the consequences of failure to renew.

(3) Late Renewals--Late renewal applications submitted during the three (3) month period following expiration must be accompanied by a fee equal to the biennial renewal fee plus a $10.00 penalty fee.

(4) Reinstatement--Registrations not renewed prior to the end of the three (3) month period following the expiration date shall not be subject to renewal. Any consideration for registration reinstatement after this three (3) month period will be at the discretion of the Board and requires submission of a reinstatement application with the required reinstatement fee of twice the current biennial renewal fee.

History

• Authority: O.C.G.A. Sec. 43-42-7
• History. Administrative Original Rule entitled "License Renewal" was filed on May 21, 1981; effective June 10, 1981.
• Amended: Filed October 13, 1981; effective November 2, 1981.
• Amended: Rule repealed and a new Rule of the same title adopted. Filed November 15, 1983; effective December 5, 1983.

Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 580-4-.02 Continuing Education

(1) Beginning with those licenses scheduled to be renewed on June 30, 1987, in order for a license to be eligible for renewal, the licensee must submit evidence of having completed ten (10) clock hours of continuing education during the current biennial licensure period. Such evidence of completion of continuing education must be submitted on a form provided by the Board and must disclose such minimum information as the title of the program, name of the sponsoring organization, name of instructor, description of the content, the clock hours attended and hours claimed, dates of attendance, and certification of attendance. The continuing education report should be submitted as part of the biennial renewal application.

(2) Those persons initially licensed during the first year of the biennial licensure period must complete, as a prerequisite to licensure renewal, ten (10) clock hours of acceptable continuing education in accordance with paragraph (1). Those persons initially licensed during the second year of the biennial licensure period shall not be required to show evidence of having completed continuing education in order to renew their licenses for the first time.

(3) Effective October 1, 1987, applications for registration reinstatement must be accompanied by evidence of the completion of ten (10) clock hours of acceptable continuing education earned within twenty-four (24) months prior to the date the application for reinstatement is submitted to the Board.

(4) Licensees who are not residents of Georgia and/or who do not practice in Georgia will be exempt from continuing education requirements until such time as they begin to practice in Georgia. The continuing education requirements will not be retroactive, but shall be applicable beginning with the first date of practice in the state.

(5)

The continuing education requirement may be met by any of the following:

(a) Completion of one (1) or more credit courses at the undergraduate or graduate level from an accredited college or university. A one (1) credit hour course is considered equivalent to ten (10) clock hours. Such courses must be related to the technical functions of a sanitarian. This will ordinarily be given liberal interpretation; but, the licensee may be asked to explain and justify the relevance of a particular course. Final determination as to the relevance shall be made by the Board.

(b)

Completion of continuing education units (C.E.U.'s) awarded by an institution of higher learning approved to award C.E.U.'s. These will be approved if, in the opinion of the Board, the subject area is related to the technical functions of the sanitarian (Rule No.

580-4-.02(5)(a)

). Continuing education programs conducted by the following institutions will ordinarily receive automatic approval:

Regional Health Professions Education Centers:

(i) Columbus College--Columbus, Georgia

(ii) Armstrong State College--Savannah, Georgia;

2. Georgia State University--Atlanta, Georgia;

3. Georgia Institute of Technology--Atlanta, Georgia;

4. University of Georgia Athens, Georgia; and,

5. Medical College of Georgia--Augusta, Georgia.

(c) Attendance at the educational conferences of professional environmental organizations, such as the Georgia Environmental Health Association, may count toward the continuing education requirement. For prior approval, an application must be made on a form provided by the Board and should be submitted to the Board sixty (60) days in advance of the meeting. Attendance at the conference must be certified by an officer of the organization or the conference moderator. A sanitarian wishing to receive credit for attendance at conferences not on the approved list must submit a program and list of faculty with a request for approval to the Board on a form provided by the Board.

(d) Correspondence Courses. Credit may be given for the satisfactory completion of correspondence courses which are related to the sanitarian's technical functions; provided, that approval is given from the Board. Application for approval must contain an outline or summary of the course content, identity of the sponsor, and a letter from the sponsor certifying that the applicant satisfactorily completed the course and must be submitted on a form provided by the Board. For prior approval, an application should be submitted to the Board sixty (60) days in advance of commencing the course.

(e) In-service educational conferences, courses, and seminars for sanitarians sponsored by the governmental agencies and industry. In order for such training to be considered for continuing education credit, the sponsor must submit a program or topic outline, list of faculty, and number of clock hours on a form provided by the Board. If approval is not sought by the sponsor, approval may be requested on an individual basis by submitting the above information on a form provided by the Board. In either case, attendance must be certified by the sponsor. For prior approval, an application should be submitted to the Board sixty (60) days in advance of commencing the course.

(6) The Board may relax or suspend the requirements of continuing education for reasons of individual hardship or health of applicant.

History

• Authority: O.C.G.A. Sec. 43-42-7
• History. Administrative Original Rule entitled "Continuing Education" was filed on May 21, 1981; effective June 10, 1981.
• Amended: Filed March 25, 1982; effective April 14, 1982.
• Amended: Rule repealed. Filed November 15, 1983; effective December 5, 1983.
• Amended: Rule of the same title adopted. Filed October 28, 1985; effective November 17, 1985.

Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 580-4-.03 Licensure

(1) In government, any person who is employed by the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Human Resources, or county health department in a sanitarian classification, as determined by the Board from the Merit System class title, shall be registered.

(2) In the private sector, persons other than registered professional engineers, loss control specialists, fire safety specialists, and certified industrial hygienists, who, by whatever name called, hold themselves out as environmental consultants to more than one industry or whose jobs closely parallel one of the Merit System sanitarian classifications, are subject to registration.

(3) Examination Schedule--The Board shall set examination dates which may be obtaine d by contacting the Joint Secretary.

(4)

Procedures for registration are as follows:

(a) Educational Qualifications--Must have a degree, or be within 30 days of graduation, from an accredited college or university with 40 quarter hours in the basic biological, physical, or environmental sciences;

(b)

Application for Examination--Application must be made on the form provided by the Board at least 30 calendar days prior to the date of examination. The application must be accompanied by:

1. the application and examination fees set by the Board; and

2. an official transcript of all college level academic work completed (a transcript mailed to the student is not acceptable); and

3. the names and addresses of three or more references, at least one (1) of whom must be a currently Registered Professional Sanitarian in the State of Georgia; and

4. if not yet graduated, a letter from the department head or dean certifying that the applicant is, or will be, within 30 days of graduation from a four-year college or university with the requisite course credits at the time the examination is given.

(c) Admission to Examination--Admission will be granted only where a completed application (including fees, official transcript, and at least three (3) references, one of whom must be a currently Registered Professional Sanitarian) is received by the Board at least 30 calendar days prior to the date of the examination, and where a majority of the Board reviewing the application votes to approve admission;

(d) Examination--The Board shall determine the passing grades over all sections of the examination. The candidate will receive credit for those sections for which he/she has earned a passing grade.

(e) Reexamination--At each examination administration, the candidate must take all sections of the examination for which he/she is not credited with a passing grade. Unlimited retakes of the entire examination, or sections thereof, are permitted.

(f)

Experience Requirement--Prior to being granted a license, the applicant must have passed the examination and satisfactorily completed two years of on-the-job training and experience in environmental health. Persons who pass the examination and satisfactorily complete two years of experience will ordinarily be approved by the Board following receipt of a letter from the applicant's supervisor certifying that the two years training and experience have been completed. The Board may authorize a Board representative to approve the issuance of a license on the date the experience is completed.

1. Training and experience in previous employment will be considered and may be disapproved or approved in whole or in part at the discretion of the Board. To be considered, the applicant must summarize the training experience, specify the time period covered, and have the former supervisor, or other knowledgeable official, attest to the accuracy of such training and experience.

History

• Authority: O.C.G.A. Sec. 43-42-5
• History. Original Rule entitled "Licensure" was filed on May 21, 1981; effective June 10, 1981.
• Amended: Filed October 13, 1981; effective November 2, 1981.
• Amended: Filed November 15, 1983; effective December 5, 1983.

Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. r. 580-4-.04 Reciprocity

A person licensed or registered as a sanitarian in another state or country may apply for licensure in Georgia under reciprocity.

(a)

Application--Application shall be made on the form supplied by the Board. Favorable consideration will be granted only where, in the opinion of the Board, the applicant meets the minimum education and experience requirement of Georgia Law. Said application must be accompanied by the following:

1. certification by the licensing or registration authority attesting that the applicant holds a currently valid license or registration; and

2. a certified copy of the state's or country's requirements for registration or licensure; and

3. application fee set by the Board.

(b) Reciprocal Agreements--The Board may enter into a reciprocal agreement with other states where, after inquiry, the Board is convinced that said requirements are equal to, or exceed, those currently in effect in Georgia. Persons making application for licensure under reciprocity from states where a reciprocal agreement is in effect need only establish that they hold a currently valid license in the state and pay the required fee.

History

• Authority: Ga. L. 1977, pp. 1108-1122
• History. Administrative Original Rule entitled "Reciprocity" was filed on May 21, 1981; effective June 10, 1981.