(1) Adult family homes.

(a) Certified home care aides must complete twelve hours of continuing education by their birthday each year after obtaining certification as required by the Washington department of health as described in RCW 74.39A.341.

(b) If exempt from certification as described in RCW 18.88B.041, long-term care workers must complete twelve hours of continuing education by their birthday each year.

(i) Unless voluntarily certified as a home care aide under chapter 18.88B RCW, the continuing education does not apply to registered nurses and licensed practical nurses licensed under chapter 18.79 RCW.

(ii) Continuing education requirements under subsection (1)(b) of this section do not apply to certified nursing assistants and persons with special education training and an endorsement granted by the superintendent of public instruction, as described in RCW 28A.300.010.

(c) For long-term care workers that are certified as a home care aide or nursing assistant, if the first renewal period is less than a full year from the initial date of certification, no continuing education will be due for the first renewal period.

(d) Continuing education must include one half hour per year on safe food handling in adult family homes as described in RCW 70.128.250 when the long-term worker does not maintain a food handler's permit.

(2) Assisted living facilities.

(a) Certified home care aides must complete twelve hours of continuing education by their birthday each year after obtaining certification as required by the Washington department of health as described in RCW 74.39A.341.

(b) Long-term care workers exempt from certification under RCW 18.88B.041 must complete twelve hours of continuing education by their birthday each year.

(c) For long-term care workers that are certified as a home care aide or nursing assistant, if the first renewal period is less than a full year from the initial date of certification, no continuing education will be due for the first renewal period.

(i) Unless voluntarily certified as a home care aide under chapter 18.88B RCW, the continuing education does not apply to registered nurses and licensed practical nurses licensed under chapter 18.79 RCW.

(ii) Continuing education requirements under subsection (2)(b) of this section apply to certified nursing assistants and persons with special education training and an endorsement granted by the superintendent of public instruction, as described in RCW 28A.300.010.

(iii) Assisted living facility administrators or the administrator designees must complete twelve hours of continuing education by their birthday each year.

(3) Enhanced services facilities.

(a) Certified home care aides must complete twelve hours of continuing education by their birthday each year after obtaining certification as required by the Washington department of health as described in RCW 74.39A.341.

(b) Long-term care workers exempt from certification under RCW 18.88B.041 must complete twelve hours of continuing education by their birthday each year for each year they worked.

(c) For long-term care workers that are certified as a home care aide or nursing assistant, if the first renewal period is less than a full year from the initial date of certification, no continuing education will be due for the first renewal period.

(i) Unless voluntarily certified as a home care aide under chapter 18.88B RCW, the continuing education does not apply to registered nurses and licensed practical nurses licensed under chapter 18.79 RCW.

(ii) Continuing education requirements under subsection (3)(b) of this section do apply to certified nursing assistants and persons with special education training and an endorsement granted by the superintendent of public instruction, as described in RCW 28A.300.010.

(iii) Enhanced services facility administrators or the administrator designees must complete twelve hours of continuing education by their birthday each year.

(d) Enhanced services facility certified home care aide staff and nursing assistant certified staff must have ten of their twelve hours of annual continuing education cover relevant education regarding the population served in the enhanced services facility as provided in WAC 388-107-0660.

(e) In addition to the annual continuing education requirements for individual staff, the enhanced services facility must provide three hours of staff education per quarter relevant to the needs of the population served.

(4) A long-term care worker who does not complete continuing education as required in subsections (1) through (3) of this section or RCW 74.39A.341 must not be paid to provide care until they complete the required continuing education.

(5) One hour of completed classroom instruction or other form of training (such as an online course) equals one hour of continuing education. For online courses, the training entity must establish a way for the long-term care worker to ask the instructor questions.