Current through Register Vol. XLI, No. 50, December 13, 2024
Section 23-5-9 - Disciplinary Actions by the Board9.1. The Board may at any time upon its own motion and shall upon the verified written complaint of any person conduct an investigation to determine whether there are any grounds for a disciplinary action relevant to a license issued under the provisions of W. Va. Code §§ 30-1-1 et seq. or 30-13A-1 et seq. and the rules issued by the Board.9.2. The Board may place on probation, suspend or revoke any license; may issue a letter of caution or reprimand, cease and desist order, settlement agreement, consent agreement and order, probable cause order, final or administrative order resulting from a formal hearing or other similar agreements and orders; may impose a fine not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) per infraction; may require additional education or training; or may impose any combination of these disciplinary actions, when it finds a licensee has: 9.2.a. Been convicted of a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude;9.2.b. Obtained a license by means of fraud or deceit;9.2.c. Been incompetent or guilty of fraud, deceit, professional negligence, willful departure from accepted standards of professional conduct or other misconduct in the practice of surveying; or9.2.d. Failed or refused to comply with the provisions of W. Va. Code § 30-13A-1 et seq. or any reasonable rule promulgated by the Board or any order or final decision of the Board.9.3. Upon a final decision of the Board finding grounds for any disciplinary action, the Board may assess costs against the licensee for reimbursement of the costs of investigation, hearings and other administrative expenses relative to the complaint.9.4. The Board shall also suspend or revoke any license if it finds the existence of any ground which would justify the denial of an application for the license if application were then being made for it.9.4.a. Any suspension of a license continues for the period specified in the order of suspension.9.4.b. Revocation of a license shall not preclude application to reinstate his or her license and meeting all the licensing requirements in effect at the time of application. The Board shall process the application in the same manner, approve or deny the application and issue or refuse the license on the same grounds as any other application for a license is processed, considered and determined, except that any previous suspension and the revocation may be given weight in deciding whether to approve or deny the application and issue or refuse to issue the license as is meet and proper under all the circumstances.9.5. Whenever the Board denies an application for any original or renewal license or suspends or revokes any license, it shall make and enter an order to that effect and serve a copy on the applicant or licensee, as the case may be, by certified mail, return receipt requested. 9.5.a. The order shall state the grounds for the action taken and shall require that any license suspended or revoked by the order shall be returned to the Board by the licensee within twenty (20) days after receipt of the order.9.5.b. Any person adversely affected by any order is entitled to a hearing (as to all issues not excluded from the definition of a "contested case" as set forth in W. Va. Code § 29A-1-1 et seq.) if, within twenty (20) days after receipt of a copy, the applicant files with the Board a written demand for a hearing.9.5.c. The Board may require the person demanding the hearing to give reasonable security for costs and if the person does not substantially prevail at the hearing costs shall be assessed against the person and may be collected by an action at law or other proper remedy.