(a) Following an investigation in which the Department makes an initial determination that a contractor has violated 1 or more provisions of this chapter, the Department may make a decision to do 1 or more of the following:(1) Deny, suspend, or revoke a certificate of registration.(2) Require the posting of a surety bond.(3) Impose an administrative penalty.(b) The Department shall notify the contractor, in writing, of a decision to take an action taken under subsection (a) of this section which must comply with § 10122 of Title 29 and include all of the following:(1) The action to be taken.(2) The grounds upon which the determination was made to take the action.(3) Instructions to request a hearing under § 102 of this title.(c)(1) A request for a hearing must be made in writing, addressed to the Secretary, and made within 10 business days from the date of receipt of the notice under subsection (b) of this section.(2) If a hearing is not requested under paragraph (c)(1) of this section, the determination made by the Department under subsection (a) of this section is final.(d) The Office of Contractor Registration shall review a request for hearing under paragraph (c)(1) of this section to determine if the dispute can be resolved at an informal settlement conference. If the Office of Contractor Registration holds an informal settlement conference and a settlement is not reached, the Office of Contractor Registration shall forward the hearing request to the Secretary to schedule a hearing.(e) The Secretary shall issue a final case decision at the conclusion of a hearing held under this section as required under Chapter 101 of Title 29.(f) A contractor may seek judicial review of the Secretary's final case decision by commencing an action in Superior Court, within 30 days of the date of the final decision under subsection (e) of this section.(g) When a determination to suspend or revoke a certificate of registration is final, the holder of a certificate of registration shall surrender the certificate of registration within 20 days of the later of the date of the notice under subsection (b) of this section or the final decision under subsection (d) of this section by sending the certificate of registration to the Secretary by certified mail.(h) If a contractor's application for a certificate of registration is denied or a contractor's certificate of registration is suspended or revoked, the contractor cannot perform work for which a bid has been submitted and which is under review.Added by Laws 2019, ch. 168,s 4, eff. 10/1/2020.