§ 1B — Acceptance of education, training or service completed by applicant as member of armed forces toward qualification requirements to receive license or certification; validity of license or certificate during active service of holder; expedited licensing of spouse of member of armed services; waiver of commonwealth's fees

Section 1B. (a) The commissioner of the division of occupational licensure and each of the boards of registration and examination under the commissioner's supervision, shall upon presentation of satisfactory evidence by an applicant for certification or licensure, accept education, training or service completed by an individual as a member of the armed forces, as defined in clause Forty-third of section 7 of chapter 4, or the United States military reserves toward the qualifications required to receive the license or certification in question.(b) The commissioner of public health and each of the boards of registration and examination under the commissioner's supervision, shall upon presentation of satisfactory evidence by an applicant for certification or licensure, accept education, training, or service completed by an individual as a member of the armed forces, as defined in clause Forty-third of section 7 of chapter 4, or the United States military reserves toward the qualifications required to receive the license or certification in question.(c) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, if a licensee or certificate holder, under this chapter, is engaged in active service in the armed forces of the United States, as defined in clause Forty-third of section 7 of chapter 4, the license or certification held by that licensee or certificate holder shall remain valid until the licensee or certificate holder is released from active duty and for a period of not less than 90 days following that release.(d) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the commissioner of public health and each of the boards of registration and examination under the supervision of the commissioner shall, upon presentation of satisfactory evidence by an applicant for certification or licensure, expedite the issuance of a license or certification to an applicant: (i) who is certified or licensed in a state other than the commonwealth; (ii) whose spouse is a member of the armed forces in the United States; (iii) whose spouse is the subject of a military transfer to the commonwealth; and (iv) who left employment to accompany the person's spouse to the commonwealth. The procedure shall include, but not be limited to, not later than 30 days following the receipt of an application: (i) issuing the applicant a license or certificate; (ii) issuing the applicant a temporary license or certificate to allow the applicant to perform services while completing any specific requirements that may be required in the commonwealth but were not required in the state in which the applicant was licensed or certified; (iii) providing notification to the applicant that the applicant's experience does not satisfy the requirements for licensure and specify the criteria or requirements that the applicant failed to meet and the basis for that determination; or (iv) providing notification to the applicant that there is insufficient information to make the determination and that specifies the needed information and outstanding materials.(e) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the commissioner of occupational licensure and each of the boards of registration and examination under the supervision of the commissioner shall, upon the presentation of satisfactory evidence by an applicant for certification or licensure, expedite the issuance of a license or certification for the applicant: (i) who is certified or licensed in a state other than the commonwealth; (ii) whose spouse is a member of the armed forces in the United States; (iii) whose spouse is the subject of a military transfer to the commonwealth; and (iv) who left employment to accompany a spouse to the commonwealth. The procedure shall include, but not be limited to, not later than 30 days following the receipt of an application: (i) issuing the applicant a license or certificate; (ii) issuing the applicant a temporary license or certificate to allow the applicant to perform services while completing any specific requirements that may be required in the commonwealth but were not required in the state in which the applicant was licensed or certified; (iii) providing notification to the applicant that the applicant's experience does not satisfy the requirements for licensure and specify the criteria or requirements that the applicant failed to meet and the basis for that determination; or (iv) providing notification to the applicant that there is insufficient information to make the determination and that specifies the needed information and outstanding materials.(f) The commissioner of the division of occupational licensure and each of the boards of registration and examination under the supervision of the commissioner shall waive the commonwealth's portion of the initial application fee and the initial fee for a license application or certification granted pursuant to this section.(g) The commissioner of public health and each of the boards of registration and examination under the commissioner's supervision shall waive the commonwealth's portion of the initial application fee and the initial fee for a license application or certification granted pursuant to this section.