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 conditional license as a licensed social worker in accordance with subsection 3-B; completed the requirements for consultation and contact hours in accordance with subsection 3-C, paragraph B and subsection 3-D; 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.

The board may not issue a licensed social worker conditional license under this subsection after September 30, 2003. Individuals who have met the requirements of this subsection and have a licensed social worker conditional license issued prior to September 30, 2003, may continue to work towards full licensure as a licensed social worker under this subsection.

Sec. 3. 32 MRSA §7053, sub-§3-A, as amended by PL 2001, c. 542, §2, is repealed.

Sec. 4. 32 MRSA §7053, sub-§§3-B to 3-D are enacted to read:

3-B.__Conditional license as a licensed social worker.__The board may issue a conditional license as a licensed social worker to an applicant who provides to the board:

A.__Documented proof of a bachelor's degree in a field that is sufficiently related to social work or social welfare, as determined by the board; and

B.__Any documentation as required by the board, which may include, but is not limited to:

(1)__Evidence of employment in a social service delivery field;

(2)__Evidence of an arrangement of consultation to be provided in accordance with subsection 3-C, paragraph B; and