Chapter FD 4

CONTINUING EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

FD 4.01   Authority.

FD 4.02   Definitions.

FD 4.03   Continuing education.

FD 4.04   Approval of continuing education programs.

FD 4.045   Qualifications for continuing education instructors.

FD 4.05   Exemption.

FD 4.06   Audit.

Ch. FD 4 Note Note: Chapter FDE 5 was renumbered chapter FDE 4 under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 1., Stats., Register, July, 1988, No. 391, eff. 8-1-88. Chapter FDE 4 was renumbered chapter FD 4 under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 1., Stats., Register, September, 1993, No. 453.

FD 4.01 FD 4.01 Authority. The rules in this chapter are adopted under authority in ss. 15.08 (5) (b), 227.11 and 445.06, Stats.

FD 4.01 History History: Cr. Register, July, 1986, No. 367, eff. 8-1-86; correction made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register, September, 1993, No. 453.

FD 4.02 FD 4.02 Definitions. In this chapter,

FD 4.02(1m) (1m) “Credit hour” means at least 50 minutes spent by a licensee in actual attendance and completion of, online or in person, a board-approved continuing education program.

FD 4.02(2) (2) “Evidence of attendance” means an official transcript, student grade report or a written form furnished by a program provider which specifies satisfactory completion of a continuing education program.

FD 4.02(3m) (3m) “In-service” means continuing education approved by the board that is provided by a licensed funeral director to staff of the funeral director’s funeral establishment and is available to all funeral directors.

FD 4.02(3n) (3n) “Professional activity” means any of the following:

FD 4.02(3n)(a) (a) Serving on the Funeral Directors Examining Board.

FD 4.02(3n)(b) (b) Serving on the Milwaukee Area Technical College Funeral Services Advisory Committee.

FD 4.02(3n)(c) (c) Serving on the National Funeral Director committee or board.

FD 4.02(3n)(d) (d) Serving on the state board, district board, or a committee of the Wisconsin Funeral Director Association.

FD 4.02(3n)(e) (e) Serving on the Funeral Service Alliance committee or board.

FD 4.02(3n)(f) (f) Serving on the American Board of Funeral Education committee or board.

FD 4.02(3n)(g) (g) Serving on the Order of the Golden Rule committee or board.

FD 4.02(3n)(h) (h) Serving on the National Selection of Morticians committee or board.

FD 4.02(4) (4) “Program provider” means an educational institution, governmental agency, professional or trade association or foundation or a private firm or individual whose primary function is continuing education.

FD 4.02 History History: Cr. Register, July, 1986, No. 367, eff. 8-1-86; CR 17-048: cr. (3m), (3n) Register July 2018 No. 751, eff. 8-1-18; correction in (3n) (d) made under s. 35.17, Stats., Register July 2018 No. 751; EmR 1823: emerg. renum. (1), (3) to FD 1.013 (1), (2), eff. 11-27-18; CR 18-075: renum. (1), (3) to FD 1.013 (1), (2), Register June 2019 No. 762, eff. 7-1-19; CR 19-162: cr. (1m) Register September 2020 No. 777, eff. 10-1-20.

FD 4.03 FD 4.03 Continuing education.

FD 4.03(1) (1) For the renewal of a license that expires on the first renewal date after the date on which the examining board initially granted the license, completion of 4 credit hours of continuing education subsequent to the date the applicant was granted the initial license is required. The required 4 credit hours of continuing education may include instruction in any of the following topics that the board has determined may prepare a new licensee for practice as a funeral director:

FD 4.03(1)(a) (a) Embalming.

FD 4.03(1)(b) (b) Life insurance.

FD 4.03(1)(c) (c) Hospitality.

FD 4.03(1)(d) (d) Celebrant training.

FD 4.03(1)(e) (e) Crematory operation.

FD 4.03(1)(f) (f) Public speaking.

FD 4.03(1)(g) (g) Small business management.

FD 4.03(1)(h) (h) Marketing, including the use of graphic design and social media.

FD 4.03(1m) (1m) Every funeral director, except as described in sub. (1) and s. FD 4.05, shall complete at least 15 hours of approved continuing education programs in each biennial registration period, as specified under s. 445.06, Stats.

FD 4.03(2) (2) Approved continuing education credit hours may apply only to the biennial registration period in which the hours are acquired.

FD 4.03(3) (3) To obtain credit for completion of the continuing education requirement, a funeral director shall submit certificates of attendance issued by the program provider or other evidence of attendance satisfactory to the board.

FD 4.03(4m) (4m) At least 3 credit hours of the 15-hour requirement shall be in each of the subject areas specified in s. FD 4.04 (1) (a) 1. to 4.

FD 4.03(5) (5) No more than 7 credit hours of all of the 15-hour requirement may be in approved programs in s. FD 4.04 (7).

FD 4.03(6) (6) Continuing education credit may be granted for teaching or presenting any continuing education programs or courses under s. FD 4.04 (1) (a) 1. to 4. No credit will be granted for any subsequent presentations of the same program or course. A teacher or presenter may receive 2 continuing education credits for each credit hour of presentation.

FD 4.03(6m) (6m) Two credit hours of continuing education may be granted for one hour of professional activity with a maximum of 6 credit hours of continuing education per biennial registration period for professional activity.

FD 4.03(7) (7) No more than 10 credit hours of the 15-hour requirement may be acquired through participation in board-approved online programs.

FD 4.03(9) (9) Continuing education credit for participation in a multiple-day program, in which each day of the program is a prerequisite for each succeeding day, shall be granted only for completion of the entire program.

FD 4.03(10) (10) A funeral director may receive credit for attendance at a continuing education program which received approval after he or she attended the program, if the funeral director provides evidence of attendance satisfactory to the board.

FD 4.03(11) (11) The board may count any relevant instruction obtained in connection with military service, as defined in s. 111.32 (12g), Stats., toward satisfying up to 15 hours of continuing education credits per biennial registration period.

FD 4.03 History History: Cr. Register, July, 1986, No. 367, eff. 8-1-86; am. (7), Register, November, 1998, No. 515, eff. 12-1-98; CR 01-063: cr. (4m) and am. (5), Register November 2001 No. 551, eff. 12-1-01; CR 17-048: r. and recr. (6), cr. (6m), am. (7), (8), cr. (11) Register July 2018 No. 751, eff. 8-1-18; CR 19-162: am. (1), (2), r. (4), am. (4m), (5), (6), (7), r. (8) Register September 2020 No. 777, eff. 10-1-20; CR 20-045: r. and recr. (1), cr. (1m) Register June 2021 No. 786, eff. 7-1-21.

FD 4.04 FD 4.04 Approval of continuing education programs.

FD 4.04(1) (1) Except as provided in sub. (8), to obtain approval of a continuing education program, the program provider shall submit an application to the board on a form provided by the board. To be approved by the board, a continuing education program shall meet all of the following criteria:

FD 4.04(1)(a) (a) The program relates to one or more of the following subject content areas:

FD 4.04(1)(a)1. 1. Grief counseling or communication.

FD 4.04(1)(a)2. 2. Professional conduct, business ethics or legal aspects specifically related to practice in the profession.

FD 4.04(1)(a)3. 3. Business management concepts relating specifically to delivery of services to a consumer.

FD 4.04(1)(a)4. 4. Technical or practical aspects of the profession.

FD 4.04(1)(b) (b) The program is available to all funeral directors regardless of membership in or affiliation with any organization.

FD 4.04(1)(c) (c) The program provider does one of the following:

FD 4.04(1)(c)1. 1. The program provider of the continuing education program agrees to monitor the continuous attendance of participants and to furnish to each participant evidence of having attended and completed the program at the location of the program.

FD 4.04(1)(c)2. 2. The program provider of a board-approved online continuing education program includes in the program a method satisfactory to the board of determining a participant’s successful completion of the approved online program.

FD 4.04(2) (2) An application for a continuing education program shall include all of the following:

FD 4.04(2)(a) (a) Date and location of the program.

FD 4.04(2)(b) (b) Time segments scheduled in the program for presentation of subject areas specified in sub. (2).

FD 4.04(2)(c) (c) Name and title of the instructor.

FD 4.04(2)(d) (d) Name and title of the person requesting program approval on behalf of the provider.

FD 4.04 Note Note: Forms are available upon request to the board office, PO Box 8935, Madison, WI 53708.

FD 4.04(3) (3) A separate application shall be submitted for each continuing education program. Approval of a continuing education program expires on December 31 of each odd-numbered year.

FD 4.04(4) (4) A program provider shall apply for approval of a continuing education program at least 30 days prior to its presentation.

FD 4.04(5) (5) A continuing education program may include subject content other than that specified in sub. (1); however, the board shall limit its approval only to that part and time segments of the program which relate to subject areas specified in sub. (1).

FD 4.04(6) (6) A board-approved online program or course taken for academic credit shall be eligible for credit if the program or course relates to subject areas specified in sub. (1) and meets all other requirements in this section.

FD 4.04(7) (7) In-service continuing education programs sponsored by a funeral establishment are not eligible for credit unless the programs are available to all licensed funeral directors and meet all other requirements in this section.

FD 4.04(8) (8) A continuing education course sponsored by a national, international or state funeral director’s association, or an educational institution accredited by the American Board of Funeral Service Education or approved by the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice or otherwise deemed to be equivalent by the board, which satisfies the criteria established in sub. (1) (a) to (c) and s. FD 4.045, shall be approved by the board without receipt of a course approval application from the program provider.

FD 4.04 History History: Cr. Register, July, 1986, No. 367, eff. 8-1-86; correction in (6) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 12., Stats., Register, September, 1993, No. 453; am. (2) (intro.), Register, November, 1998, No. 515, eff. 12-1-98; CR 07-049: am. (1) (intro.), cr. (8) Register March 2008 No. 627, eff. 4-1-08; correction in (8) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register March 2008 No. 627; CR 16-011: am. (8) Register September 2016 No. 729, eff. 10-1-16; CR 17-048: renum. (1) (c) to (1) (c) 1. and am., cr. (1) (c) (intro.), renum. (1) (d) to (1) (c) 2. and am., am. (6) Register July 2018 No. 751, eff. 8-1-18; correction in (8) made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 7., Stats., Register July 2018 No. 751.

FD 4.045 FD 4.045 Qualifications for continuing education instructors. Instructors for continuing education shall possess one of the following minimum qualifications:

FD 4.045(1) (1) Be an instructor of funeral directing who is or has been engaged in the practice of teaching at an accredited institution of higher education.

FD 4.045(2) (2) Be a properly licensed or certified person for the 5 years immediately before becoming a continuing education instructor.

FD 4.045(3) (3) Be a person who, in the judgment of the board, is qualified by experience or education, or both, to supervise a course of study.

FD 4.045 History History: CR 01-063: Cr. Register November 2001 No. 551, eff. 12-1-01.

FD 4.05 FD 4.05 Exemption. Any funeral director who holds a certificate in good standing granted under s. 445.06, Stats., shall be exempt from meeting the continuing education requirement for the duration of the period that the funeral director is not engaged in professional practice. A funeral director who holds a certificate shall notify the board and shall submit proof of having completed 15 hours of approved continuing education programs in the 2-year period immediately preceding notification to the board of his or her intent to return to professional practice in a licensed funeral establishment.

FD 4.05 History History: Cr. Register, July, 1986, No. 367, eff. 8-1-86.

FD 4.06 FD 4.06 Audit. The board may conduct a continuing education audit on any licensee who has received a complaint against the credential holder.

FD 4.06 History History: CR 17-048: cr. Register July 2018 No. 751, eff. 8-1-18.