Licensure of members of the Armed Forces in good standing and their spouses or surviving spouses with administrative boards or programs.

(1) Any member of the United States Armed Forces now or hereafter on active duty who, at the time of becoming such a member, was in good standing with any of the boards or programs listed in s. 20.165 and was entitled to practice or engage in his or her profession or occupation in the state shall be kept in good standing by the applicable board or program, without registering, paying dues or fees, or performing any other act on his or her part to be performed, as long as he or she is a member of the United States Armed Forces on active duty and for a period of 2 years after discharge from active duty. A member, during active duty and for a period of 2 years after discharge from active duty, engaged in his or her licensed profession or occupation in the private sector for profit in this state must complete all license renewal provisions except remitting the license renewal fee, which shall be waived by the department.

(2) A spouse of a member of the United States Armed Forces who is married to a member during a period of active duty, or a surviving spouse of a member who at the time of death was serving on active duty, who is in good standing with any of the boards or programs listed in s. 20.165 shall be kept in good standing by the applicable board or program as described in subsection (1) and shall be exempt from licensure renewal provisions, but only in cases of his or her absence from the state because of his or her spouse’s duties with the United States Armed Forces. The department or the appropriate board or program shall waive any license renewal fee for such spouse when he or she is present in this state because of such member’s active duty and for a surviving spouse of a member who at the time of death was serving on active duty and died within the 2 years preceding the date of renewal.

(3)(a) The department shall issue a professional license to an applicant who is or was an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States, or who is a spouse or surviving spouse of such member, upon application to the department in a format prescribed by the department. An application must include proof that:

1. The applicant is or was an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States or is married to a member of the Armed Forces of the United States and was married to the member during any period of active duty or was married to such a member who at the time of the member’s death was serving on active duty. An applicant who was an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States must have received an honorable discharge upon separation or discharge from the Armed Forces of the United States.

2. The applicant holds a valid license for the profession issued by another state, the District of Columbia, any possession or territory of the United States, or any foreign jurisdiction.

3. The applicant, where required by the specific practice act, has complied with insurance or bonding requirements.

4.a. A complete set of the applicant’s fingerprints is submitted to the Department of Law Enforcement for a statewide criminal history check.

b. The Department of Law Enforcement shall forward the fingerprints submitted pursuant to sub-subparagraph a. to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a national criminal history check. The department shall, and the board may, review the results of the criminal history checks according to the level 2 screening standards in s. 435.04 and determine whether the applicant meets the licensure requirements. The costs of fingerprint processing shall be borne by the applicant. If the applicant’s fingerprints are submitted through an authorized agency or vendor, the agency or vendor shall collect the required processing fees and remit the fees to the Department of Law Enforcement.

(b) The department shall waive the applicant’s initial licensure application fee.

(c) An applicant who is issued a license under this section may renew such license upon completion of the conditions for renewal required of licenseholders under the applicable practice act, including, without limitation, continuing education requirements. This paragraph does not limit waiver of initial licensure requirements under this subsection.

(d) The department shall expedite all applications submitted by a spouse of an active duty member of the Armed Forces of the United States pursuant to this subsection and shall issue a license within 7 days after receipt of a complete application that includes all required documentation under subparagraphs (a)1.-4.