Continuing Education for Bail Bond Agents, General Bail Bond Agents, and Surety Recovery Agents

PURPOSE: This rule establishes procedures with regard to the continuing education requirements contained in sections 374.710 and 374.784, RSMo. (1) As used in this rule, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise: (A) “Approved course”—means an educational presentation offered in a class, seminar, self-study, or other form of instruction involving state and federal laws related to the bail bond industry, law enforcement, surety contract principles, procedures related to the apprehension of prisoners, procedures for field operations, principles of investigation, or other related areas approved by the director; (B) “CEC”—means continuing education credit for licensed bail bond agents, general bail bond agents, and surety recovery agents; (C) “Classroom”—means an area designated for instructional purposes; (D) “Bail Bond Agent, General Bail Bond Agent, and Surety Recovery Agent Continuing Education Certificate of Course Completion”—means a form provided by the director and completed by the authorized provider representative of an approved course which signifies satisfactory completion of the course and reflects the hours of credit earned; (E) “Bail Bond Agent, General Bail Bond Agent, and Surety Recovery Agent Continuing Education Certification Summary”—means a form provided by the director and completed by the licensee which documents compliance with the continuing education requirements in section 374.710, RSMo; (F) “Bail Bond Agent, General Bail Bond Agent, and Surety Recovery Agent Continuing Education Provider Application for Course Approval”—means a form provided by the director and completed by the course provider which requests approval of a continuing education course from the director; (G) “Affidavit of Bail Bond Agent, General Bail Bond Agent, and Surety Recovery Agent Exam Proctor”—means a form which can be accessed at the department’s website at http://www.insurance.mo.gov, or at the department, to be completed by the exam proctor of an exam taken by the licensee to complete the requirements for credit for a self-study course; (H) Exam proctor—a disinterested third party of at least eighteen (18) years of age, who has no corporate, employment, personal relationship, or other interest in the licensee’s performance on the examination; (I) Teleconference course—a live interactive broadcast that is transmitted via satellite or other electronic means; (J) Credit hour—constitutes fifty (50) minutes of uninterrupted instruction during an approved course. Partial hours of credit are not allowed; (K) Director—the director of the Department of Commerce and Insurance or their designee; (L) Licensee—a person who is licensed by the department as a bail bond agent, general bail bond agent, or surety recovery agent; (M) Self-study course—any course completed by a licensee using books, recorded audio, videotapes, computer programs, Internet rebroadcast of a taped event, or any other medium of instruction without the presence of an instructor or monitor. (2) CEC credit hours may be earned through the following: (A) Classroom instruction with a maximum of eight (8) credit hours per course. A licensee is not required to pass an examination to receive CEC for a classroom delivered course. (B) Self-Study Courses. The licensee must pass a proctored exam to receive credit. The maximum allowable credit for self-study courses is eight (8) credit hours per course. 1. The credit hours for a self-study course will be determined by the following method: A. Workbooks or other printed material—every fifteen (15) pages will equal one (1) credit hour; B. Computer-based courses or Internet courses will be calculated as: three (3) screens (750 words) will equal one (1) printed page and forty-five (45) screens will equal one (1) credit hour. 2. Proctored exams are to consist of at least twenty-five (25) questions and the licensee will be awarded one (1) credit hour for every twenty-five (25) questions completed without access to books, notes, or any other reference material or information that would give or assist the licensee with the answers to the examination questions. (3) A provider of classroom instruction or a self-study course must seek approval from the director by completing the form “Continuing Education Provider Application for Bail Bond Course Approval,” which can be accessed at the department’s website at http://www.insurance.mo.gov or at the department. CEC will not be given to licensees for attending courses prior to the course approval date. (4) Filing Fees for Course Approval. Every applicant seeking approval by the director of a continuing education course shall pay to the director a filing fee of fifty dollars ($50) per course, included with the application form required by the director. Courses are approved for a period of no more than one (1) year. Applicants holding courses intended to be offered for a longer period must reapply for approval on forms prescribed by the director and submit an additional fifty dollar ($50) fee. (5) All course providers must furnish a Bail Bond Agent, General Bail Bond Agent, and Surety Recovery Agent Continuing Education Certificate of Course Completion to any licensee who completes an approved course. The form can be accessed at the department’s website at http://www.insurance.mo.gov or at the department. (6) Bail bond agents, general bail bond agents, and surety recovery agents must submit a Bail Bond Agent, General Bail Bond Agent, and Surety Recovery Agent Continuing Education Certification Summary to the director to show compliance with sections 374.710 and 374.784, RSMo. The form can be accessed at the department’s website at http://www.insurance.mo.gov or at the department. (7) Bail bond agents, general bail bond agents, and surety recovery agents taking self-study courses must have the exam proctor complete an Affidavit of Bail Bond Agent, General Bail Bond Agent, and Surety Recovery Agent Exam Proctor to show compliance with sections 374.710 and 374.784, RSMo, and return the form to the provider. The form can be accessed at the department’s website at http://www.insurance.mo.gov or at the department. (8) Within thirty (30) days of the date a course is completed by a licensee, providers shall notify the director of the credit hours earned in an electronic manner. Specifications may be obtained by contacting the Licensing Section of the department. (A) For good cause shown, the director may by written order waive application of the provisions of this section. The extent of any waiver will be governed by the terms of the written order granting the waiver. (9) A licensee may not repeat a course for credit during the same biennial licensure period. (10) Courses that were taken prior to the date of Missouri licensure will not be allowable for credit as continuing education. (11) The department may audit approved courses or a licensee’s continuing education records at any time. (12) Failure of providers to comply with Missouri insurance statutes or regulations may result in revocation of course approval or corrective action against the provider as authorized by law. (13) Reporting Period. (A) All bail bond agents, general bail bond agents, and surety recovery agents must show proof of compliance with the continuing education requirements at the time of their biennial license renewal by filing a Bail Bond Agent, General Bail Bond Agent, and Surety Recovery Agent Continuing Education Certification Summary listing all completed courses. (14) The cost per student for eight (8) credit hours is not to exceed one hundred fifty dollars ($150). AUTHORITY: sections 374.045, 374.705, and 374.710, RSMo 2016, and section 374.784, RSMo Supp. 2018.* Original rule filed Sept. 14, 2004, effective March 30, 2005. Amended: Filed Nov. 30, 2007, effective July 30, 2008. Amended: Filed March 8, 2019, effective Sept. 30, 2019. Non-substantive change filed Sept. 11, 2019, published Oct. 31, 2019. *Original authority: 374.045, RSMo 1967, amended 1993, 1995, 2008; 374.705, RSMo 1983, amended 1993, 2004; 374.710, RSMo 1983, amended 1995, 2004; and 374.784, RSMo 2004, amended 2018.