96.60—Length of accreditation or approval period.
(a)
Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, the accrediting entity will accredit or approve an agency or person for a period of four years. The accreditation or approval period will commence either on the date the Convention enters into force for the United States (if the agency or person is accredited or approved before that date) or on the date that the agency or person is granted accreditation or approval.
(b)
In order to stagger the renewal requests from agencies and persons that applied for accreditation or approval by the transitional application deadline, to prevent renewal requests from coming due at the same time, the accrediting entity may accredit or approve some agencies and persons that applied by the transitional application date for a period of between three and five years for their first accreditation or approval cycle. The accrediting entity must establish criteria, to be approved by the Secretary, for choosing which agencies and persons it will accredit or approve for a period of other than four years.