37 TAC § 421.17. Requirement to Maintain Certification

(a) All full-time or part-time employees of a fire department or local government assigned duties identified as fire protection personnel duties must maintain certification by the commission in the discipline(s) to which they are assigned for the duration of their assignment.

(b) In order to maintain the certification required by this section, the certificate(s) of the employees must be renewed annually by complying with §437.5 of this title (relating to Renewal Fees) and Chapter 441 of this title (relating to Continuing Education) of the commission standards manual.

(c) Except for subsection (d) of this section, or upon determination by the Executive Director when special circumstances are presented, an individual whose certificate has been expired for greater than one year but no longer than five years, may renew their certification once they comply with the CE requirements for the period of time their certification was inactive, as outlines in 37 TAC, Chapter 441, Continuing Education, and they pay all applicable certification renewal fees for the period of time that their certification was inactive, as required in 37 TAC, Chapter 437, Fees. Individuals whose certification has been expired longer than five years, may not renew the certificate previously held. To obtain a new certification, an individual must meet the requirements in Chapter 439 of this title (relating to Examinations for Certification).

(d) A military service member whose certificate has been expired for three years or longer may not renew the certificate previously held. To obtain a new certification, the person must meet the requirements in Chapter 439 of this title. In order to qualify for this provision, the individual must have been a military service member at the time the certificate expired and continued in that status for the duration of the three-year period.

(e) The commission will provide proof of current certification to individuals whose certification has been renewed.