(a) As part of registration renewal, a license holder must complete 34 hours of CAE during the biennial renewal period as follows:(1) Minimum core hours include:(A) eight hours in general acupuncture therapies;(B) two hours in ethics and safety;(C) six hours in herbology; and(D) four hours of biomedicine.(2) Completion of a course in human trafficking prevention approved by the Executive Commissioner of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. This course may satisfy the required two core hours in ethics and safety.(3) The remaining CAE hours may be from other approved courses. No more than four hours in business practice or office administration is allowed.(b) Approved courses are:(1) courses approved by the board;(2) courses offered by board approved CAE providers;(3) NCCAOM professional development activity credits; and(4) CAE providers who are formally approved by another state for a minimum of three years.(c) Carry forward of CAE credit is allowed as follows:(1) no more than 34 excess hours earned in a biennium may be applied to the following biennial requirements; and(2) no hours can be carried forward past a single renewal period.(d) Instructors of board-approved CAE courses may receive three hours of CAE credit for each hour of lecture with a maximum of six hours of continuing education credit per year. No CAE credit shall be granted to school faculty members as credit for their regular teaching assignments.(e) Exemptions for CAE requirements.(1) Requests must be made in writing at least 30 days prior to expiration of the biennial renewal period for the following reasons:(A) catastrophic illness(B) military service of longer than one year's duration outside the state;(C) licensee's residence of longer than one year's duration outside the United States; or(D) other good cause.(2) Exemptions are subject to the approval of the Executive Director of the board and may not exceed two years.