Sec. 28. 32 MRSA §1362, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 94, §1, is amended to read:

§1362. Continuing professional education

1. Requirement for renewal. Beginning with registrations or licenses that expire in December 2005, every person seeking renewal under section 1357 must provide evidence satisfactory to the board that the person has completed 30 continuing professional education hours within the period for which the registration or license was issued.

2. Failure to meet requirement. The board may not renew a registration to license of an applicant who fails to meet the continuing professional education requirements under subsection 1. If an applicant subsequently fulfills the requirement after the registration license has expired, the board may renew the registration license for the remainder of the 2-year period for which a renewal would have been valid but for the applicant's failure to meet the continuing professional education requirement.

3. Review; monitoring. The board shall annually review and monitor compliance with the continuing professional education requirement under subsection 1.

4.__Exemptions.__Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, the board or a 3-person committee of the board may allow an exemption or a partial exemption of the requirements of this section to a person seeking renewal under section 1357 upon the showing of an extenuating situation, hardship or disability.

Sec. 29. Transition; board members. Notwithstanding the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 32, section 1301, members of the State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers on the effective date of this Act continue to serve on the State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers until the terms for which they were elected expire.

Sec. 30. Transition; existing certificates. A valid certificate of registration pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 32, chapter 19 issued before the effective date of this Act continues to be valid and may be renewed unless suspended or revoked under Title 32, section 1356.