3. a. Any entity designated in section 2 of P.L.1978, c.73 (C.45:1-15), or any principal department of the Executive Branch of State government or any entity within any department or any other entity hereafter created to license or otherwise regulate a health care profession or occupation shall not issue an initial license, certification or registration, or renew, reinstate or reactivate a license, certification or registration unless the entity has first determined that no criminal history record or record with the National Practitioner Data Bank exists demonstrating that an applicant for a license, certification, or registration in a health care profession or occupation has been convicted of sexual assault, criminal sexual contact or lewdness pursuant to N.J.S.2C:14-2, N.J.S.2C:14-3, and N.J.S.2C:14-4 that is of the first, second, third or fourth degree, endangering the welfare of a child pursuant to paragraph (1) of subsection a. of N.J.S.2C:24-4, attempting to lure or entice a child pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1993, c.291 (C.2C:13-6), or equivalent offenses in another jurisdiction.
b. Nothing in this section shall preclude any entity designated in section 2 of P.L.1978, c.73 (C.45:1-15), or any principal department of the Executive Branch of State government or any entity within any department or any other entity hereafter created to license or otherwise regulate a health care profession or occupation from considering criminal convictions for offenses other than those offenses included in subsection a. of this section, pursuant to section 8 of P.L.1978, c.73 (C.45:1-21), or from considering other information provided by the National Practitioner Data Bank or any other source when reviewing the qualifications of an applicant for licensure, certification, or registration.