2851

No public authority shall hereafter prohibit, prevent, disqualify or discriminate against any person applying for employment by, such authority, who is physically and mentally qualified, or from competing, participating or registering for a position, or be penalized in a final rating for any position, by reason of his or her age. Any existing rule, regulation, penalty or requirement resolution preventing the hiring of persons because of age shall be void, except that nothing herein contained, shall prevent any public authority from adopting reasonable minimum or maximum age requirements for positions such as police officer, firefighter, guard or other positions which require extraordinary physical effort except where age limits for such positions are already prescribed by law.\nNotwithstanding any provisions to the contrary, no person who is physically or mentally qualified may be disqualified from, competing, participating or registering for a promotional examination or be penalized in a final rating or barred from promotion after having passed such promotion examination by reason of his or her age, by any public

ating or registering for a promotional examination or be penalized in a final rating or barred from promotion after having passed such promotion examination by reason of his or her age, by any public authority.