B. A person who receives a conditional license as a licensed social worker on or after January 1, 2004 must complete the following requirements for consultation.

(1) A person who is not an employee of the Department of Health and Human Services must complete a minimum of 96 hours of consultation as determined by the board. This consultation must be concurrent with the first 3,200 hours of social work employment occurring in a period of not less than 2 years but not more than 4 years. For purposes of fulfilling the requirement of 96 hours of__consultation during the first 3,200 hours of social work employment, a licensed social worker who practiced social work and obtained social work consultation hours in a long-term care setting and who held a valid license as of September 13, 2003 may count consultation hours that were obtained prior to August 3, 2004, whether the consultation hours were obtained in individual or group settings, if the consultation was provided by a licensed social worker, regardless of the group size and the eligibility requirements of the consulting licensed social worker.

(2) A person who is an employee of the Department of Health and Human Services must complete a minimum of 96 hours of consultation with a licensed social worker who has been licensed for at least 4 years or a licensed master social worker. This consultation must be concurrent with the first 3,200 hours of social work employment occurring in a period of not less than 2 years but not more than 4 years.

Sec. 2. 32 MRSA §7060, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 429, §6 and affected by §7 and amended by c. 689, Pt. B, §6, is further amended to read:

1. Not employee of Department of Health and Human Services. If not employed by the Department of Health and Human Services, provide documentation of 96 hours of consultation as determined by the board during the first 3,200 hours of social work employment in a period of not less than 2 years but not more than 4 years.__For purposes of fulfilling the requirement of 96 hours of consultation during the first 3,200 hours of social work employment, a licensed social worker who practiced social work and obtained social work consultation hours in a long-term care setting and who held a valid license as of September 13, 2003 may