A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 40-1-630, RELATING TO THE ISSUANCE OF TEMPORARY PROFESSIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL LICENSES FOR SPOUSES OF ACTIVE DUTY MEMBERS OF THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES STATIONED IN THIS STATE so as to make the licenses permanent, AND to REMOVE THE TEMPORARY DESIGNATION AND DURATION OF SUCH LICENSES, AND TO MAKE CONFORMING CHANGES.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1.  Section 40-1-630 of the S.C. Code is amended to read:

    Section 40-1-630.  (A) A board or commission that regulates the licensure of a profession or occupation under Title 40 shall issue a temporary professional license for a profession or occupation it regulates to the spouse of an active duty member of the United States Armed Forces if the member is assigned to a duty station in this State pursuant to the official active duty military orders of the member. Nothing in this section should be construed as requiring a board or commission to grant licensure to the spouse of an active duty member of the United States Armed Forces absent evidence that all state law requirements for licensure have been met.

    (B)(1) A person seeking a temporary professional license under subsection (A) shall submit an application to the board or commission from which it is seeking the temporary license on forms the board or commission shall create and provide. In addition to general personal information about the applicant, the application must include proof that the:

           (a) applicant is married to a member of the United States Armed Forces who is on active duty;

           (b) applicant holds a valid license issued by another state, the District of Columbia, a possession or territory of the United States, or a foreign jurisdiction for the profession for which temporary licensure is sought;

           (c) applicant holds the license in subitem (b) in "good standing" as evidenced by a certificate of good standing from the state, possession or territory of the United States, or foreign jurisdiction that issued the license;

           (d)(i) applicant submitted at his expense to a fingerprint-based background check conducted by the State Law Enforcement Division to determine if the applicant has a criminal history in this State and a fingerprint-based background check conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to determine if the person has other criminal history, and the official results of these checks must be provided to the board or commission to which application for temporary licensure is made;  and

               (ii) the provisions of this subitem only apply if a similar background check is required to obtain ordinary licensure in the profession or occupation for which temporary licensure is sought by the applicant;  and

           (e) spouse of the applicant is assigned to a duty station in this State pursuant to the official active duty military orders of the member.

    (C) A temporary license issued under this section expires one year from the date of issue and may not be renewed is subject to expiration, renewal, suspension, and revocation applicable to the license as provided in the relevant chapter of this title.

SECTION 2.  This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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