Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

Subdivision (1) of section 71C of chapter 143 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 1996 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following four paragraphs:-

The renewal of all licenses granted under the provisions of this section shall be conditioned upon the submission of a certificate of completion of a course designed to ensure the continuing education of licensees on new and existing provisions of the regulations of the board of elevator regulations. Such course shall consist of not less than eight hours of instruction which shall be attended and completed within the one year immediately preceding any such license renewal.

Such course shall be taught by instructors through continuing education providers which may include, but shall not be limited to, association seminars and labor training programs; provided, however, that all such continuing education providers shall be approved by the board of elevator regulations; and provided further, that all instructors shall be licensed in the commonwealth as elevator mechanics, employed or retained by such providers, approved by the board of elevator regulations and exempt from the requirements of the preceding paragraph with regard to his application for license renewal provided that such applicant was qualified as an instructor at any time during the one year immediately preceding the scheduled date for such renewal.

A licensee who is unable to complete the continuing education course required under this section prior to the expiration of his license due to a temporary disability may apply for a waiver from the board of elevator regulations on a form provided by said board which shall be signed under the pains and penalties of perjury and accompanied by a certified statement from a competent physician attesting to such temporary disability. Upon the termination of such temporary disability, such licensee shall submit to said board a certified statement from the same physician, if practicable, attesting to the termination of such temporary disability, at which time a waiver sticker, valid for 90 days, shall be issued to such licensee and affixed to his license.

Approved training providers shall keep uniform records of attendance of licensees following a format approved by the board of elevator regulations and such records shall be available for inspection by said board at its request. Approved training providers shall be responsible for the security of all attendance records and certificates of completion; provided, however, that falsifying or knowingly allowing another to falsify such attendance records or certificates of completion shall constitute grounds for suspension or revocation of the approval required under this section.