(1) Reasons for Proposal

This Amendment aims to define matters delegated by the Act, such as clarifying the procedures for issuing licenses for the assistive technology professionals, timings and methods for providing refresher education, and standards of administrative disposition as the Act on the Support for Assistive Devices for Persons with Disabilities, Older Persons, Etc., and Promotion of Use Thereof (Act No. 13662, promulgated on December 29, 2015, and to be enforced on December 30, 2018) was enacted to introduce the national qualification system for assistive device specialists, etc., to strengthen the expertise of the personnel providing assistive device services to persons with disabilities and to improve the quality of such services.

(2) Major Provisions

A. Prescribe matters related to application for the issuance of licenses of assistive technology professionals (Article 10 newly inserted)

A person who intends to acquire a license as an assistive technology professional shall submit an application form for issuance to the Minister of Health and Welfare attaching a certificate of completion, etc., showing that he/she has completed the courses related to assistive technology, and the Minister of Health and Welfare who receives such form shall issue the license to the applicant within 14 days from the date of application.

B. Prescribe matters related to a license registration book for assistive device specialists (Article 11 newly inserted)

Where the Minister of Health and Welfare issues a license as an assistive technology professional, he/she shall register the matters of the license in the book of license registration.

C. Prescribe matters related to application for re-issuance of a license as an assistive technology professional (Article 12 newly inserted)

Where an assistive device specialist lost or damaged his/her license, or where he/she intends to get the license reissued because the description of the license has changed, he/she shall submit the application for re-issuance to the Minister of Health and Welfare attaching the license, etc.; and where the Minister of Health and Welfare receives an application for re-issuance, he/she shall record the reasons for re-issuance in the book of license registration for assistive device specialists and reissue the license.

D. Prescribe matters related to persons subject to and methods for refresher education (Article 13 newly inserted)

As a person engaged in the affairs of assistive devices after having acquired the license as an assistive technology professional or a person who has not engaged in the affairs of assistive devices for more than 5 years, those who intend to engage in the affairs of assistive devices again shall be ordered to complete a refresher education program.

E. Precribe matters related to refresher education plan and performance report (Article 14 newly inserted)

The head of an entity for providing refresher education shall submit the refresher education plan for assistive device specialists by January 31 every year and the performance report of the education for assistive device specialists by March 31 every year to the Minister of Health and Welfare so that the Minister of Health and Welfare is able to evaluate the content and operation of the education of the entity for providing refresher education.

F. Prescribe matters related to preservation of refresher education-related documents (Article 15 newly inserted)

The head of the entity for providing refresher education shall preserve the relevant documents such as the list of the persons subject to refresher education for 3 years.