Sec. 1. 26 MRSA §775, as amended by PL 1993, c. 527, §1, is further amended to read:

§775. Work permits

1. Work permit authority. A minor under 16 years of age may not be employed without a work permit issued to the minor signed by the superintendent of schools of the school administrative unit in which the minor resides and issued to the minor by the bureau. The superintendent may designate a school official to issue sign a work permit and that official is directly responsible to the superintendent for this activity.

2. Conditions for signature. The superintendent shall issue sign a permit in the following circumstances:

A. If the school is in session or the minor is attending summer school, the minor must be enrolled in school, not habitually truant, not under suspension and passing a majority of courses during the current grading period. Upon request of the minor, the superintendent may waive the requirements for one grading period if, in the opinion of the superintendent, there are extenuating circumstances or if imposing the requirements would create an undue hardship for the minor;

B. If school is not in session, the minor must furnish to the superintendent a certificate signed by the principal of the school last attended showing that the minor has satisfactorily completed kindergarten to grade 8 in the public schools or their equivalent. If the certificate can not be obtained, the superintendent shall examine the minor to determine whether the minor meets these educational standards;

C. If the minor has been granted an exception to compulsory education under Title 20-A, section 5001-A, subsection 2, the minor must only submit proof of age as provided in subsection 3; or

D. If school is in session, the superintendent may have signed only one work permit issued to for the minor at any given time. The superintendent may issue sign 2 work permits to for the minor for the summer vacation period.

3. Proof of age. The superintendent may issue sign a permit only upon receiving and examining satisfactory evidence of the minor's age. Satisfactory evidence consists of a certified