Sec. 1. 32 MRSA §7001-A, sub-§5-A is enacted to read:

5-A.__Licensed bachelor social worker.__"Licensed bachelor social worker" is a person who has received a license as a bachelor social worker from the board.__Except for the provisions of section 7053, subsection 3-A, "licensed bachelor social worker" includes a person who has received a conditional license as a licensed bachelor social worker.

Sec. 2. 32 MRSA §7051, first ¶, as amended by PL 1985, c. 736, §9, is further amended to read:

In order to safeguard the life, health and welfare of the people of this State, any person practicing or offering to practice as a certified social worker - independent practice or licensed clinical, licensed master, licensed bachelor or licensed social worker shall be is required to submit evidence that he that person is qualified to so practice and shall must be licensed as provided in this subchapter.

Sec. 3. 32 MRSA §7053, sub-§3, as repealed and replaced by PL 1989, c. 682, is amended to read:

3. Licensed social worker. To be qualified to be licensed as a social worker an applicant must be licensed as a social worker on December 31, 2001 and meet one of the following requirements.:

A. The applicant must have received a bachelor's degree in social work or social welfare from an accredited educational institution; demonstrated to the satisfaction of the board adherence to the ethics of the social worker profession; and successfully completed the examination prescribed by the board.; or

B. The applicant must have received a bachelor's degree in a related field from an institution that, at the time the degree was received, did not have a program accredited by the Council on Social Work Education but subsequently offered such a program; demonstrated to the satisfaction of the board adherence to the ethics of the social worker profession; and successfully completed the examination prescribed by the board.

The board shall issue rules, in accordance with the Maine Administrative Procedure Act, Title 5, chapter 375, by which an individual who has a bachelor's degree that does not qualify under paragraph A or B may be eligible for a license.