Section 337.11 - Dry Cleaner Registration Certificates(a) Before the executive director evaluates a registration to determine if a registration certificate should be issued, each registration must be administratively complete. A registration is not administratively complete if: (1) the registration form has not been completed and submitted to the agency in accordance with this chapter;(2) the registration form does not contain all requested information with clear, legible, and true responses;(3) all fees, penalties, and interest owed to the agency have not been paid; or(4) the comptroller reports to the executive director that the owner is not in good standing with the state or that the owner's application information does not agree with the comptroller's information. However, if the comptroller does not respond to the agency's request for verification within three business days in accordance with Texas Health and Safety Code, § 374.102(f), the executive director shall not be prohibited from determining that the registration is administratively complete.(b) Upon the executive director's determination that a submitted registration is administratively complete, a registration certificate will be issued for the dry cleaning facility or dry cleaning drop station, as applicable, as long as the executive director has no reason to deny the registration certificate under this section. This certificate is necessary to receive the delivery of dry cleaning solvents under § 337.4(b) of this title (relating to General Prohibitions and Requirements).(c) The agency's issuance of a registration certificate for a dry cleaning facility or dry cleaning drop station does not constitute agency certification or affirmation of the compliance status of the location in question with this chapter, the Texas Water Code, or the Texas Health and Safety Code; and this issuance does not preclude the agency from investigating these locations and pursuing enforcement actions when apparent violations are discovered.(d) Certificate availability.(1) The owner of a dry cleaning facility or dry cleaning drop station shall make available to a person delivering dry cleaning solvent a valid, current agency registration certificate for that establishment before the delivery of dry cleaning solvent can be made or accepted.(2) The owner of the dry cleaning facility or drop station shall immediately display, upon request by agency staff, a valid, current agency registration certificate for that establishment.(3) The dry cleaning facility or dry cleaning drop station owner shall ensure that a valid, current agency registration certificate is displayed at a facility or drop station. The original registration certificate must be posted in a public area where the document is clearly visible.(4) In the event of the sale of a dry cleaning facility or a dry cleaning drop station, the previous owner's valid, current certificate may be used to purchase dry cleaning solvent for 30 days after the effective date of sale.(e) Annual registration certificate renewal. (1) The initial registration certificate issued for a dry cleaning facility or dry cleaning drop station will be valid until the expiration date indicated on that certificate. It is the responsibility of the owner to ensure that an application for renewal of that certificate is properly and timely submitted to the agency.(2) A registration certificate is renewed by timely and proper submission of a new registration form to the agency. The agency will not issue a new registration certificate for registration forms that are determined by the executive director to be incomplete or inaccurate.(3) A new registration form must be completed by the owner of a dry cleaning facility or dry cleaning drop station and submitted to the agency by August 1st of each year.(f) Revocation or denial of a certificate by the executive director.(1) The executive director may revoke or deny issuance of a certificate: (A) if the certificate was acquired by fraud, misrepresentation, or knowing failure to disclose material information;(B) if the owner of a dry cleaning facility or dry cleaning drop station is in violation of any of the requirements of this chapter or Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 374; or(C) for any reason the executive director determines to be good cause for denial or revocation.(2) Prior to revocation or denial of a certificate pursuant to this subsection, the executive director shall provide notice to the owner of the dry cleaning facility or dry cleaning drop station of the facts alleged to warrant revocation or denial. The notice must be in writing and sent via certified mail, return receipt requested. If the certified mail is returned to the executive director as unclaimed, notice is presumed to be received by the owner five days after mailing when: (A) the notice was sent to the address indicated on the owner's most current registration; and(B) the notice was sent simultaneously via first class mail, postage paid.(3) The owner shall have 30 days after receipt of notice to demonstrate to the executive director whether or not compliance has been maintained with all requirements of law for the retention of the certificate. The executive director shall make a determination whether to revoke or deny the certificate and shall provide such determination in writing to the owner.(4) The owner may appeal for commission review of the executive director's determination to revoke or deny a certificate pursuant to this subsection. An appeal must be in writing and filed by United States mail, facsimile, or hand delivery with the commission's Office of the Chief Clerk no later than 23 days after the date the agency mails notice of the executive director's determination to revoke or deny a certificate. The original and 11 copies of the appeal must be filed. If the appeal is filed by facsimile, the owner must file with the Office of the Chief Clerk the original and 11 copies by mail or hand delivery within three days. If an appeal meeting the requirements of this subsection is not filed within the time period specified, the executive director's determination is final. (A) In addition to filing the appeal with the Office of the Chief Clerk, the owner shall mail or deliver a copy of the appeal to:(i) the executive director; and(ii) the Office of the Public Interest Counsel.(B) An appeal filed under this subsection must:(i) provide a copy of the owner's registration information;(ii) specify the executive director determination for which commission review is being sought;(iii) request commission consideration of the executive director determination; and(iv) explain the basis for the appeal.(C) A proceeding based upon an appeal filed under this subsection is not a contested case for purposes of Texas Government Code, Chapter 2001.(g) In addition to subsection (f) of this section, the executive director may seek to revoke a certificate by filing a petition in accordance with the procedures set forth in Chapter 70 of this title (relating to Enforcement) if the executive director determines that any of the reasons in subsection (f)(1) of this section exist.(h) Revocation of a certificate under subsection (f) or (g) of this section is cumulative of any other remedies available to the agency by law.30 Tex. Admin. Code § 337.11
The provisions of this §337.11 adopted to be effective June 1, 2005, 30 TexReg 3108; amended to be effective February 1, 2006, 31 TexReg 548; amended to be effective June 26, 2008, 33 TexReg 4898