NEWARK – To promote social distancing during the public health emergency related to COVID-19, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and the Division of Consumer Affairs today announced that New Jersey is temporarily suspending rules for the sixteen of the professional boards and committees under the DCA’s supervision that ordinarily require in-person continuing education to maintain a professional license, certificate of registration, or certification.
Governor Phil Murphy issued an Executive Order declaring a public health emergency related to COVID-19 on March 9, 2020, and extended the public health emergency on April 7, 2020. The Governor can extend a public health emergency for up to 30 days at a time.
Under the policy announced today, the sixteen boards and committees will count all continuing education credits earned during the current public health emergency as in-person credits.
The affected boards and committees are:
- Acupuncture Examining Board
- Alcohol and Drug Counselor Committee
- Art Therapists Advisory Committee
- Board of Chiropractic Examiners
- Board of Dentistry
- Electrologists Advisory Committee
- Elevator, Escalator, and Moving Walkway Mechanics Licensing Board
- Fire Alarm, Burglar Alarm and Locksmith Advisory Committee
- Home Inspection Advisory Committee
- Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners
- Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy
- Board of Mortuary Science
- Board of Optometrists
- Perfusionists Advisory Committee
- Board of Pharmacy
- Board of Psychological Examiners
The Division of Consumer Affairs houses 51 professional boards, which oversee approximately 720,000 active licensed professionals, from accountants to doctors and plumbers to veterinarians. The Division’s other boards and committees have continuing education requirements, but do not require that any of the continuing education occur in person.