SECTION 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 58 of chapter 31 of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, the personnel administrator of the human resources division, when certifying names to the appointing authority of the city of Cambridge for the city’s police force and fire force, upon written request of the appointing authority, shall place the names of all persons who were residents of the city of Cambridge at the time of obtaining a high school diploma or its equivalent, but who thereafter left the city of Cambridge to pursue higher education, vocational education or training, military service or other life experience or employment, within 10 years from the date of obtaining a high school diploma or its equivalent as of the date of the examination, on the eligible list for original appointment to the police force or fire force of the city of Cambridge, in the same manner set forth in said section 58 of said chapter 31 as if the person had been a resident of the city of Cambridge for a period of 1 year immediately prior to the date of examination.

SECTION 2. If any provision of this act or the application of such provision to any person or circumstance shall be held invalid, the validity of the remainder of this act and the applicability of such provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon its passage.