(1) All long-term care workers who are certified home care aides must comply with the continuing education requirements under chapter 246-980 WAC.

(2) Long-term care workers, who are exempt from home care aide certification as described in RCW 18.88B.041, unless exempt from continuing education as described under WAC 388-71-1001 must complete and provide documentation of 12 hours of continuing education within 45 calendar days of being hired or by the long-term care worker's birthday in the calendar year hired, whichever is later; and

(a) Must complete 12 hours of continuing education by the long-term care worker's birthday each calendar year worked thereafter; or

(b) If the 45 calendar day time period allows the long-term care worker to complete continuing education in January or February of the following year, the credit hours earned will be applied to the calendar year in which the long-term care worker was hired.

(3) If the renewal period following initial certification as a home care aide or nursing assistant (NA-C), is less than a full year from the date of certification, no continuing education will be due for the first renewal period.

(4) Unless exempt under WAC 388-71-1001, long-term care workers who are caring for a parent, sibling, aunt, uncle, cousin, niece, nephew, grandparent, or grandchild, including when related by marriage or domestic partnership, or providing approved services only for a spouse or registered domestic partner and funded through the United States department of veterans' affairs home and community-based programs, continuing education must be completed on or before their birthday in the year after basic training was completed.

(5) A certified home care aide or long-term care worker exempt from home care aide certification as described in RCW 18.88B.041 who did not complete the continuing education requirements by the time frame described in this section must not be paid to provide care after that date.