ARTICLE 24. QUALIFICATION OF ARMED FORCES HEALTH TECHNICIANS FOR CIVILIAN HEALTH OCCUPATIONS.

§30-24-1. Legislative findings; rule of construction.

The Legislature hereby finds and declares that there are many veterans returning to civilian life from active duty in the Armed Forces who had extensive academic training and experience while in the Armed Forces in various health occupations; that in many instances, the level of academic training and experience is equal to or exceeds that received by a student studying and training for a similar health occupation in civilian life; that such veterans should not be required to undergo further educational training or obtain additional experience in civilian life before being eligible for examination for licensing or registration in a comparable civilian health occupation; that in the public interest, however, it is necessary that the competency of such veterans be determined and evaluated by examination before they are so licensed or registered; and that certain academic training and experience of such veterans in the Armed Forces should be sufficient to permit such examination or examinations as may be required for the licensing or registration as a registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, dental hygienist, professional sanitarian or physical therapist. This article is enacted in view of these findings and shall be liberally construed in the light thereof.

§30-24-2. Qualification for examination for license as a registered professional nurse.

Any person who has served on active duty in the medical corps of any of the Armed Forces of the United States and who has successfully completed the course of instruction required to qualify him for rating as a medical specialist advanced, medical service technician or advanced hospital corpsman technician, or other equivalent rating in his particular branch of the Armed Forces, and whose service in the Armed Forces was under honorable conditions, may submit to the West Virginia board of examiners for registered professional nurses, a photostatic copy of the certificate issued to him certifying successful completion of such course of instruction, a photostatic copy of his discharge from the Armed Forces, an application for a license as a registered professional nurse and the prescribed license fee.

If the certificate and discharge, as evidenced by the photostatic copies thereof, the application and prescribed license fee are in order, and if the veteran meets all of the requirements of article seven of this chapter, except the requirement therein specified requiring an applicant to have completed an accredited program of registered professional nursing education and to hold a diploma from a school accredited by such board, the veteran shall be permitted, notwithstanding any provision of said article seven to the contrary, to take the same examination or examinations as are required under section six of said article seven for applicants who do not apply for a license under the provisions of this article twenty-four. If the veteran passes such examination or examinations, he shall be licensed as a registered professional nurse, and such veteran shall thereafter be subject to all of the provisions of said article seven. If the veteran does not pass such examination or examinations, the provisions of said article seven relating to reexaminations shall apply to such veteran the same as they apply to a person who does not apply for a license under the provisions of this article twenty-four.

§30-24-3. Qualification for examination for license as a licensed practical nurse.

Any person who has served on active duty in the medical corps of any of the Armed Forces of the United States and who has successfully completed the course of instruction required to qualify him for rating as a medical specialist advanced, medical service technician, advanced hospital corpsman technician, medical corpsman, medical service specialist or class A hospital corpsman, or other equivalent rating in his particular branch of the Armed Forces, and whose service in the Armed Forces was under honorable conditions, may submit to the West Virginia state board of examiners for licensed practical nurses, a photostatic copy of the certificate issued to him certifying successful completion of such course of instruction, a photostatic copy of his discharge from the Armed Forces, an application for license as a licensed practical nurse and the prescribed fee.

If the certificate and discharge, as evidenced by the photostatic copies thereof, the application and prescribed fee are in order, and if the veteran meets all of the requirements of article seven-a of this chapter, except the requirements therein specified requiring an applicant to have completed a course of study in an accredited school for practical nurses as defined by such board, to hold a diploma therefrom and to have completed such other general educational requirements as may be prescribed by such board, the veteran shall be permitted, notwithstanding any provision of said article seven-a to the contrary, to take the same examination or examinations as are required under section six of said article seven-a for applicants who do not apply for a license under the provisions of this article twenty- four. If the veteran passes such examination or examinations, he shall be licensed as a licensed practical nurse, and such veteran shall thereafter be subject to all of the provisions of said article seven-a. If the veteran does not pass such examination or examinations, the provisions of said article seven-a relating to reexaminations (by cross reference to section six, article one of this chapter) shall apply to such veteran the same as they apply to a person who does not apply for a license under the provisions of this article twenty-four.

§30-24-4. Qualification for examination for license as a dental hygienist.

Any person who has served on active duty in the medical corps of any of the Armed Forces of the United States and who has successfully completed the course of instruction required to qualify him for rating as a dental specialist, preventive dentistry technician or dental technician class A dental technician school, or other equivalent rating in his particular branch of the Armed Forces, and whose service in the Armed Forces was under honorable conditions, may submit to the West Virginia board of dental examiners, a photostatic copy of the certificate issued to him certifying successful completion of such course of instruction, a photostatic copy of his discharge from the Armed Forces, an application for license as a dental hygienist and the prescribed fee.

If the certificate and discharge, as evidenced by the photostatic copies thereof, the application and prescribed fee are in order, and if the veteran meets all of the requirements of article four of this chapter, except the requirement therein specified requiring an applicant to be a graduate of and possess an acceptable diploma in dental hygiene from a school having a course in dental hygiene approved by such board, the veteran shall be permitted, notwithstanding any provision of said article four to the contrary, to take the same examination or examinations as are required under section fourteen of said article four for applicants who do not apply for a license under the provisions of this article twenty-four. If the veteran passes such examination or examinations, he shall be licensed as a dental hygienist, and such veteran shall thereafter be subject to all of the provisions of said article four relating to dental hygienists. If the veteran does not pass such examination or examinations, the provisions of said article four relating to reexaminations shall apply to such veteran the same as they apply to a person who does not apply for a license under the provisions of this article twenty-four.

§30-24-5. Qualification for examination for registration as a sanitarian.

Any person who has served on active duty in the medical corps of any of the Armed Forces of the United States and who has successfully completed the course of instruction required to qualify him for rating as a food inspection specialist or a preventive medical specialist, or other equivalent rating in his particular branch of the Armed Forces, and whose service in the Armed Forces was under honorable conditions, may submit to the West Virginia board of sanitarians, a photostatic copy of the certificate issued to him certifying successful completion of such course of instruction, a photostatic copy of his discharge from the Armed Forces, an application for registration as a professional sanitarian and the prescribed registration fee.

If the certificate and discharge, as evidenced by the photostatic copies thereof, the application and prescribed registration fee are in order, and if the veteran meets all of the requirements of article seventeen of this chapter, except the educational and probationary employment requirements therein specified, the veteran shall be permitted, notwithstanding any provision of said article seventeen to the contrary, to take the same examination as is required under subdivision (1), section five of said article seventeen for applicants who do not apply for registration under the provisions of this article twenty- four. If the veteran passes such examination, he shall be registered as a professional sanitarian, and such veteran shall thereafter be subject to all of the provisions of said article seventeen.

§30-24-6. Qualification for examination for license as a licensed physical therapist.

Any person who has served on active duty in the medical corps of any of the Armed Forces of the United States and who has successfully completed the course of instruction required to qualify him for rating as a physical therapy specialist, physical and occupational therapy technician, physical therapy technician, or physical therapy specialist (semiskilled), or other equivalent rating in his particular branch of the Armed Forces, and whose service in the Armed Forces was under honorable conditions, may submit to the West Virginia board of examiners and registration of physical therapists, a photostatic copy of the certificate issued to him certifying successful completion of such course of instruction, a photostatic copy of his discharge from the Armed Forces, an application for a license as a licensed physical therapist and the prescribed license fee.

If the certificate and discharge, as evidenced by the photostatic copies thereof, the application and prescribed license fee are in order, and if the veteran meets all of the requirements of article twenty of this chapter, except the requirement therein specified requiring an applicant to be a graduate of a school of physical therapy approved by the American Physical Therapy Association and the board, the veteran shall be permitted, notwithstanding any provision of said article twenty to the contrary, to take the same examination or examinations as are required under section five of said article twenty for applicants who do not apply for a license under the provisions of this article twenty-four. If the veteran passes such examination or examinations, he shall be licensed as a licensed physical therapist, and such veteran shall thereafter be subject to all of the provisions of said article twenty. If the veteran does not pass such examination or examinations, any provisions of said article twenty relating to reexaminations shall apply to such veteran the same as they apply to a person who does not apply for a license under the provisions of this article twenty-four.

§30-24-7. Records required to be kept; reports to Legislature.

Each board referred to in the preceding sections of this article shall prepare and maintain records as to (1) the number of veterans who apply to such boards for license or registration under the provisions of this article and the percentage thereof who pass the required examination or examinations; and (2) the number of persons who apply to such boards for license other than under the provisions of this article and the percentage thereof who pass the required examination or examinations. Each such board shall render a report to the Legislature each year, during the first ten days of each regular session thereof, collating and summarizing the information contained in such records.

§30-24-8. Qualification for examination for license as an emergency medical technician.

Any person who has served on reserve or active duty in the medical corps of any of the Armed Forces of the United States and who has successfully completed the course of instruction required to qualify him or her for rating as an emergency medical technician, hospital corpsman, combat medic, health care specialist, or other equivalent rating in his or her particular branch of the Armed Forces, and whose service in the Armed Forces was under honorable conditions, may submit to the West Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services, a photostatic copy of the certificate issued to him or her certifying successful completion of such course of instruction, a photostatic copy of his or her discharge from the Armed Forces, an application for a certification as an emergency medical technician, and the prescribed license fee.

If the certificate and discharge, as evidenced by the photostatic copies thereof, the application, and prescribed license fee are in order, and if the veteran meets all of the requirements of §16-4C-1 et seq. of this code, the veteran shall be permitted to take the same examination or examinations as are required under §16-4C-1 et seq. of this code for applicants who do not apply for a license under the provisions of this article: Provided, That the veteran may be required to attend additional training courses prior to taking the examination if more than 30 years has passed from his or her successful completion of the course of instruction and date of application. If the veteran passes the examination or examinations, he or she shall be licensed as an emergency medical technician and shall thereafter be subject to all of the provisions of §16-4C-1 et seq. of this code. If the veteran does not pass such examination or examinations, any provisions of §16-4C-1 et seq. of this code relating to reexaminations shall apply to the veteran the same as they apply to a person who does not apply for a license under the provisions of this article.