(1) At the time each licensee shall renew her or his license as otherwise provided in this chapter, each licensee, in addition to the payment of the regular renewal fee, shall furnish to the department satisfactory evidence that, in the year preceding each such application for renewal, the licensee has attended the 2-day educational program as promulgated and conducted by the Florida Naturopathic Physicians Association, Inc., or, as a substitute therefor, the equivalent of that program as approved by the department. The department shall send a written notice to this effect to every person holding a valid license to practice naturopathy within this state at least 30 days prior to May 1 in each even-numbered year, directed to the last known address of such licensee, and shall enclose with the notice proper blank forms for application for annual license renewal. All of the details and requirements of the aforesaid educational program shall be adopted and prescribed by the department. In the event of national emergencies, or for sufficient reason, the department shall have the power to excuse the naturopathic physicians as a group or as individuals from taking this postgraduate course.
(2) The determination of whether a substitute annual educational program is necessary shall be solely within the discretion of the department.