(a)

(1) The department shall accept applications for statewide gate clearance from qualified program providers and legal professionals and, if a program provider is approved, the department shall provide a program provider identification card pursuant to

Section if the program provider does not already have a valid identification card.

(2) Approved applicants shall renew their clearance annually.

(3) A program provider applying for this clearance shall be subject to a fingerprint-based background check with their initial clearance application. If the applicant has already provided fingerprints to the department, a clearance application shall be submitted to the additional institution, noting where the fingerprints were previously provided. The institution shall not require the applicant to provide additional fingerprints. (

b) A program provider with statewide gate clearance shall be able to escort other authorized program providers within each institution for which the statewide gate clearance is valid. (

c) A program provider with statewide gate clearance may provide programs without a sponsor. (

d) If a program provider has been providing programming for a minimum of six months at more than three institutions, when approved to provide programs at any additional institutions, they may immediately request a program provider identification card. (

e) The department shall notify all statewide gate clearance applicants of the decision to approve or disapprove the application within days of receipt of the application.