Section 1B. (a) The commissioner of the division of professional 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 a person: (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: (1) issuing the person a license or certificate if, in the opinion of the department, the requirements for licensure or certification of such other state are substantially equivalent to the requirements for licensure or certification in the commonwealth; or (2) issuing the person a temporary license or certificate to allow the person 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 person was licensed or certified.

(e) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the commissioner of the division of professional 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 a person: (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: (1) issuing the person a license or certificate if, in the opinion of the department, the requirements for licensure or certification of such other state are substantially equivalent to the requirements for licensure or certification in the commonwealth; or (2) issuing the person a temporary license or certificate to allow the person 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 person was licensed or certified.

(f) The commissioner of the division of professional 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.