(a) The executive director may deny an initial or renewal
application for the following reasons.
(1) Insufficiency. The executive director shall notify
the applicant of the executive director's intent to deny the application
and advise the applicant of the opportunity to file a motion to overturn
the executive director's decision under §50.139 of this title
(relating to Motion to Overturn Executive Director's Decision). The
executive director may determine that an application is insufficient
for the following reasons:
(A) failing to meet the licensing or registration requirements
of this chapter; or
(B) if an out-of-state licensing program does not have
requirements substantially equivalent to those of this chapter.
(2) Cause. After notice and opportunity for a hearing,
the commission may deny an application for a license or registration
by an applicant who:
(A) provides fraudulent information or falsifies the
application;
(B) has engaged in fraud or deceit in obtaining or
applying for a license or registration;
(C) has demonstrated gross negligence, incompetence,
or misconduct in the performance of activities authorized by a license
or registration;
(D) made an intentional misstatement or misrepresentation
of fact or information required to be maintained or submitted to the
commission by the applicant or by the license or registration holder;
(E) failed to keep and transmit records as required
by a statute within the commission's jurisdiction or a rule adopted
under such a statute; or
(F) at the time the application is submitted, is indebted
to the state for a fee, penalty, or tax imposed by a statute within
the commission's jurisdiction or a rule adopted under such a statute.
(b) If an individual causes, contributes to, or allows
a violation of this chapter, the executive director may issue a warning
letter. The letter shall be placed in the individual's permanent file
maintained by the executive director. This letter shall be a warning
that further violations or offenses by the individual may be grounds
for suspension, revocation, enforcement action, or some combination.
A warning is not a prerequisite for initiation of suspension, revocation,
or enforcement proceedings.
(c) After notice and hearing, the commission may suspend
or revoke a license, certificate, or registration on any of the grounds
contained in Texas Water Code, §7.303(b).
(d) After notice and hearing a license or registration
may be suspended for a period of up to one year, depending upon the
seriousness of the violations. A license or registration shall be
revoked after notice and hearing upon a second suspension.
(e) The commission may revoke a license or registration
after notice and hearing for a designated term or permanently. If
a license or registration is revoked a second time, the revocation
shall be permanent.
(f) The following procedures for renewal apply to individuals
that have had their license or registration suspended.
(1) If a license or registration expiration date falls
within the suspension period, an individual may renew the license
or registration during the suspension period according to §30.24
of this title (relating to License and Registration Applications for
Renewal) and the applicable subchapters of this chapter.
(2) A license or registration suspended in accordance
with subsection (j) of this section may not be renewed during the
suspension period. The license or registration may only be renewed
if the court or the Title IV-D agency renders an order vacating or
staying an order suspending the license or registration and the license
or registration has not expired during the suspension period.
(3) After the suspension period has ended, the license
or registration shall be automatically reinstated unless the individual
failed to renew the license or registration during the suspension
period.
(g) Individuals that have had their license or registration
revoked shall not have their license or registration reinstated after
the revocation period. After the revocation period has ended, an individual
may apply for a new license or registration according to this chapter.
(h) Criminal Conviction.
(1) After notice and hearing, the commission may deny,
suspend, or revoke a license on the grounds that the individual has
been convicted of an offense, other than a Class C misdemeanor that:
(A) directly relates to the duties and responsibilities
of the licensed occupation;
(B) is listed in Texas Code of Criminal Procedure,
Article 42.12, Section 3g; or
(C) is a sexually violent offense, as defined by Texas
Code of Criminal Procedure, Article 62.001.
(2) The commission shall revoke the license or registration
upon an individual's imprisonment following a felony conviction, felony
community supervision revocation, revocation of parole, or revocation
of mandatory supervision.
(3) Prohibited Employment.
(A) Individuals subject to registration under the Texas
Code of Criminal Procedure, Chapter 62 because of a reportable conviction
or adjudication for which an affirmative finding is entered under
Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, Article 42.015(b) or Section 5(e)(2),
Article 45.12, and licensed after September 1, 2013, may not, for
compensation, provide or offer to provide any type of service in the
residence of another person unless the provision of service will be
supervised.
(B) For purposes of this subsection:
(i) "Residence" means a structure primarily used as
a permanent dwelling and land that is contiguous to that permanent
dwelling.
(ii) "Supervision" means direct, continuous visual
observation of the individual at all times.
(4) Except as provided by paragraph (5) of this subsection,
notwithstanding any other law, the executive director may not consider
an individual to have been convicted of an offense for purposes of
this section if, regardless of the statutory authorization:
(A) the individual entered a plea of guilty or nolo
contendere;
(B) the judge deferred further proceedings without
entering an adjudication of guilt and placed the individual under
the supervision of the court or an officer under the supervision of
the court; and
(C) at the end of the period of supervision, the judge
dismissed the proceedings and discharged the individual.
(5) The executive director may consider an individual
to have been convicted of an offense for purposes of this section
regardless of whether the proceedings were dismissed and the individual
was discharged as described by paragraph (4) of this subsection if:
(A) the individual was charged with:
(i) any offense described by Texas Code of Criminal
Procedure, Article 62.001(5); or
(ii) an offense other than an offense described by
clause (i) of this subparagraph if:
(I) the individual has not completed the period of
supervision or the individual completed the period of supervision
less than five years before the date the individual applied for the
license; or
(II) a conviction for the offense would make the individual
ineligible for the license by operation of law; and
(B) after consideration of the factors described by
Texas Occupations Code, §53.022 and §53.023(a), the executive
director determines that:
(i) the individual may pose a continued threat to public
safety; or
(ii) employment of the individual in the licensed occupation
would create a situation in which the individual has an opportunity
to repeat the prohibited conduct.
(i) After notice and hearing, the commission may revoke
a maintenance provider registration on any of the grounds in Texas
Health and Safety Code, §366.0515(m).
(j) Failure to pay child support.
(1) The commission may suspend a license or registration
if a licensed or registered individual has been identified by the
Office of the Attorney General as being delinquent on child support
payments (upon receipt of a final order suspending a license or registration,
the executive director shall proceed as described in Texas Family
Code, Chapter 232).
(2) The commission shall refuse to accept an application
for:
(A) issuance of a new license or registration to an
individual; or
(B) renewal of an existing license or registration
to an individual if:
(i) the individual has failed to pay child support
for six months or more;
(ii) the commission is notified by a child support
agency, as defined by Texas Family Code, §101.004; and
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