Purpose 

This document provides guidance to CE coordinators and faculty within all academic and clinical departments at the University of Louisville School of Medicine and external joint providers regarding appropriate language and content in Continuing Medical Education (CME)/Continuing Education (CE) activities. These guidelines ensures compliance with Kentucky’s 2025 Regular Session House Bill 4 (codified as KRS 164.2895 et seq.), which prohibits diversity, equity, and inclusion trainings and initiatives, as well as the requirement of courses or trainings that "indoctrinate" students with "discriminatory concepts"—specifically, ideas that promote or justify treating people differently based on religion, race, sex, color, or national origin. 

Scope 

These guidelines apply to all CME/CE activities offered for credit by University of Louisville School of Medicine, including but not limited to: lectures, workshops, online courses, and training modules developed or delivered by any department or program. 

Definitions 

1. Indoctrination: The act of influencing someone's beliefs without presenting a balanced view, exposing them to opposing views, or encouraging critical thinking. 

2. Discriminatory Concepts: Ideas that promote or justify treating people differently based on religion, race, sex, color, or national origin, as defined in Kentucky House Bill 4 

3. Differential Treatment: Differential, preferential, or prejudicial treatment or consideration, which includes the conferring or withholding of a benefit. 

4. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Training: Any training, conference, presentation, meeting, or professional development that contains, implements, or promotes a discriminatory concept. 

5. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiative: A policy, practice, or procedure designed or implemented to promote or provide differential treatment or benefits to individuals on the basis of religion, race, sex, color, or national origin. 

6. DEI-Adjacent Language or Content: Words, phrases, or practices that invoke or suggest diversity, equity, or inclusion goals without explicitly naming protected categories or identities. Examples include: 

• “Diverse voices” or “diverse perspectives” 

• “Underserved populations” 

• “Inclusive environment” 

• “Broad representation” 

Guiding Principles 

1. Educational Activities that are eligible for CME/CE Credits shall not be used to indoctrinate learners with discriminatory concepts and shall not promote diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. 

2. All educational content and materials submitted for CME/CE credit will be reviewed by the submitting department/entity and the Office of Professional and Educational Development (OPED) for accuracy, balance, and fairness, ensuring that they do not promote or justify treating people differently based on religion, race, sex, color, or national origin. 

3. Educational activities granting CME/CE credit will be designed to promote critical thinking, empathy, and respect for all individuals, regardless of their background, political or social viewpoints, or protected characteristics. 

Prohibition of Discriminatory Concepts: 

CME/CE activities must not require—or incentivize—participation in courses or trainings whose primary purpose is to indoctrinate attendees with concepts that promote or justify treating individuals differently based on religion, race, sex, color, or national origin, as defined by Kentucky KRS 164.2895. 

Permitted Content: 

• KRS 164.2895 permits differential treatment or benefits necessary to provide medical treatment or information, and such treatment is excluded from KRS 164.2895’s definition of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative. 

• Discussions of differences in treatment that are medically necessary or strongly supported by peer-reviewed evidence are generally acceptable. o It would be lawful to suggest that all women should be routinely screened for breast cancer but that men should not be routinely screened unless they have a family history of breast cancer, so long as that suggestion is backed by peer-reviewed evidence. 

o It would be unlawful to suggest that all minority patients should undergo more frequent screenings for every disease, based on a perception that minority groups are generally at greater risk of receiving inadequate care. 

• CME/CE activities may include information about health disparities, social determinants of health, and culturally competent care, provided that such content is presented objectively, is evidence-based, and does not advocate for preferential (i.e., better) treatment based on protected characteristics. 

• Discussions of health disparities, social determinants of health, and culturally competent care must be centered on how such information can assist practitioners in providing better care, rather than on the perceived causes of such disparities or determinants. 

Use of DEI-Adjacent Language - When incorporating DEI-adjacent language or concepts, faculty must ensure that: 

• The purpose is educational and enhances clinical understanding or patient care. 

• No content promotes, justifies, or advocates for treating people differently based on religion, race, sex, color, or national origin. 

• Such language or content is not used as a proxy for differential treatment, a discriminatory concept, or a diversity, equity, and inclusion training or initiative. 

• All discussions are respectful, inclusive, and in compliance with state and federal law. 

Responsibilities: 

1. Department Chairs: Will ensure that all educational activities planned and delivered by their department comply with these guidelines and KRS 164.2895. Chairs or designees will review educational content and materials before submission to OPED for approval. Chairs will be responsible for providing the appropriate support to their designee when questions or clarifications arise. 

2. CME/CE Coordinators: Will be responsible for documenting that these guidelines have been shared with speakers and for timely delivery of information regarding CME/CE activities to the UofL SOM CME Office. A deadline of 2 weeks prior to presentation is required for all activities, in part to allow content that may be subject to KRS 164.2895-related issues to undergo a final review by OPED. 

3. Speakers: Speakers will be responsible for reviewing and complying with these guidelines. 

4. Office of Professional and Educational Development: Will serve as secondary reviewers of content regarding KRS 164.2895-related issues. 

Procedure: 

1. Guideline Sharing: Departments are responsible for sharing guidelines with intended speakers to be used in the development of educational materials 

2. Content Review: All educational content and materials will be reviewed by Chairs or designees to ensure compliance with these guidelines. 

3. Departmental Approval: Each department will review and approve all CME/CE activities prior to offering credit to learners as it relates to KRS 164.2895. 

4. Conflict Resolution: In the event of a conflict or concern regarding the potential for indoctrination or discriminatory concepts that cannot be resolved within the department, the issue will be escalated to Assistant Dean for Continuing and Professional Education or their designee, in consultation with the Office of University Counsel. 

October 8, 2025 

Implementation Guidelines 

1. Content Development: When developing CME/CE materials, avoid language or examples that suggest or justify disparate treatment based on religion, race, sex, color, or national origin unless such treatment is medically necessary or strongly supported by peer-reviewed evidence. Any language or examples that suggest or justify disparate treatment outside the narrow confines of medical treatment (e.g., demographic composition of medical providers, recruitment or retention of minority residents) are strictly prohibited. 

2. Case Studies and Clinical Scenarios: For CME/CE materials, use case studies or scenarios that focus on clinical relevance, health outcomes, and evidence-based practices. If demographic information is included, clarify its relevance to clinical care and avoid implying that treatment decisions should be made based on these characteristics. 

3. Reporting Concerns: Any concerns about potential non-compliance should be reported to OPED for review and resolution. 

Monitoring and Evaluation 

1. Regular Review: OPED will conduct regular reviews of all CME/CE credits provided by our office to ensure compliance with these guidelines. 

2. Departmental Feedback: OPED will solicit feedback from department coordinators on the effectiveness of these guidelines in promoting inclusive education 

References 

• Kentucky House Bill 4 (2025) (KRS 164.2895 et seq.) 

• University of Louisville School of Medicine Office of Professional and Educational Development 

• Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) Standards 

• KY Board of Nursing 

• KY Board of Social Work