(a) As part of registration renewal, a license holder must complete 36 hours of continuing education (CE) in surgical assisting or in courses that enhance the practice of surgical assisting as follows:(b) 18 hours of formal courses that are:(1) AMA/PRA Category I credited by an Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education;(2) Association of Surgical Technologists/ Association of Surgical Assistants, the American Board of Surgical Assistants, or the National Surgical Assistants Association approved;(3) AOA Category 1-A credit approved by the American Osteopathic Association; or(4) Texas Medical Association approved.(c) The formal hours of CE must:(1) include 2 hours of medical ethics and/or professional responsibility; and(2) a course in human trafficking prevention approved by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission must be completed. The course will be credited toward the required medical ethics or professional responsibility.(d) The remaining hours may be composed of informal self-study, attendance at hospital lectures or grand rounds not approved for formal CE, or case conferences and must be recorded in a manner that can be easily transmitted to the board upon request.(e) Exemptions for CE requirements.(1) Requests must be made in writing at least 30 days prior to the 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 United States;(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.