Section 43-26-9. Biennial renewal of licenses; continuing competency requirements; voluntary surrender or failure to renew license; restoration and reissuance of license

   (a) Licenses issued under this article shall be renewed biennially according to schedules and fees approved by the board.

(b) A renewed license shall be issued to a registered professional nurse or licensed undergraduate nurse who remits the required fee and complies with requirements established by the board.

(b.1) Beginning with the 2016 license renewal cycle, an applicant for license renewal under this article shall meet one of the following continuing competency requirements during the previous licensure period:

   (1) Completion of 30 continuing education hours by a board approved provider;

   (2) Maintenance of certification or recertification by a national certifying body recognized by the board;

   (3) Completion of an accredited academic program of study in nursing or a related field, as recognized by the board;

   (4) Verification of competency by a health care facility or entity licensed under Chapter 7 of Title 31 or by a physician's office that is part of a health system and at least 500 hours practiced as evidenced by employer certification on a form approved by the board; or

   (5) Other activities as prescribed and approved by the board that show competency in the nursing field.

Failure to meet the minimum continuing competency requirement for renewal of a license shall be grounds for denial of a renewal application. The board may waive or modify the requirements contained in this subsection in cases of hardship, disability, or illness or under such other circumstances as the board, in its discretion, deems appropriate. An applicant who is renewing a license for the first time shall not be required to meet the requirements of this subsection until the time of the second renewal if the applicant's initial license period is six months or less.

(c) The voluntary surrender of a license or the failure to renew a license by the end of an established penalty period shall have the same effect as a revocation of said license, subject to reinstatement at the discretion of the board. The board may restore and reissue a license and, as a condition thereof, may impose any disciplinary sanction provided by Code Section 43-1-19 or 43-26-11.

Code 1981, § 43-26-9, enacted by Ga. L. 1990, p. 747, § 1; Ga. L. 2013, p. 830, § 1/HB 315.