1568.065
. (a) Proceedings for the suspension, revocation, or denial
of a license under this chapter shall be conducted in accordance
with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division
3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, and the department shall have
all those powers granted by the provisions. In the event of conflict
between this chapter and those provisions of the Government Code,
this chapter shall prevail.
(b) In all proceedings conducted in accordance with this section,
the standard of proof to be applied shall be by the preponderance of
the evidence.
(c) If the license is not temporarily suspended pursuant to
Section 1568.082, the hearing shall be held within 90 calendar days
after receipt of the notice of defense, unless a continuance of the
hearing is granted by the department or the administrative law judge.
When the matter has been set for hearing, only the administrative
law judge may grant a continuance of the hearing. The administrative
law judge may, but need not, grant a continuance of the hearing, only
upon finding the existence of any of the following:
(1) The death or incapacitating illness of a party, a
representative or attorney of a party, a witness to an essential
fact, or of the parent, child, or member of the household of that
person, when it is not feasible to substitute another representative,
attorney, or witness because of the proximity of the hearing date.
(2) Lack of notice of hearing as provided in Section 11509 of the
Government Code.
(3) A material change in the status of the case where a change in
the parties or pleadings requires postponement, or an executed
settlement or stipulated findings of fact obviate the need for
hearing. A partial amendment of the pleadings shall not be good cause
for continuance to the extent that the unamended portion of the
pleadings is ready to be heard.
(4) A stipulation for continuance signed by all parties or their
authorized representatives, including, but not limited to, a
representative, which is communicated with the request for
continuance to the administrative law judge no later than 25 business
days before the hearing.
(5) The substitution of the representative or attorney of a party
upon showing that the substitution is required.
(6) The unavailability of a party, representative, or attorney of
a party, or witness to an essential fact due to a conflicting and
required appearance in a judicial matter if when the hearing date was
set, the person did not know and could neither anticipate nor at any
time avoid the conflict, and the conflict with request for
continuance is immediately communicated to the administrative law
judge.
(7) The unavailability of a party, a representative or attorney of
a party, or a material witness due to an unavoidable emergency.
(8) Failure by a party to comply with a timely discovery request
if the continuance request is made by the party who requested the
discovery.
(d) In addition to the witness fees and mileage provided by
Section 11450.40 of the Government Code, the department may pay
actual, necessary, and reasonable expenses in an amount not to exceed
the per diem allowance payable to a nonrepresented state employee on
travel status. The department may pay witness expenses pursuant to
this section in advance of the hearing.
(e) (1) The withdrawal of an application for a license or a
special permit after it has been filed with the department shall not
deprive the department of its authority to institute or continue a
proceeding against the applicant for the denial of the license or a
special permit upon any ground provided by law or to enter an order
denying the license or special permit upon any ground provided by
law.
(2) The suspension, expiration, or forfeiture by operation of law
of a license issued by the department, or its suspension, forfeiture,
or cancellation by order of the department or by order of a court of
law, or its surrender, shall not deprive the department of its
authority to institute or continue a disciplinary proceeding against
the licensee upon any ground provided by law or to enter an order
suspending or revoking the license or otherwise taking disciplinary
action against the licensee on any ground provided by law.
(f) (1) If an application for a license indicates, or the
department determines during the application review process, that the
applicant previously was issued a license under this chapter or
under Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1200), Chapter 2 (commencing
with Section 1250), Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 1500),
Chapter 3.3 (commencing with Section 1569), Chapter 3.4 (commencing
with Section 1596.70), Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 1596.90),
or Chapter 3.6 (commencing with Section 1597.30) and the prior
license was revoked within the preceding two years, the department
shall cease any further review of the application until two years
shall have elapsed from the date of the revocation.
(2) If an application for a license or special permit indicates,
or the department determines during the application review process,
that the applicant previously was issued a certificate of approval by
a foster family agency that was revoked by the department pursuant
to subdivision (b) of Section 1534 within the preceding two years,
the department shall cease any further review of the application
until two years have elapsed from the date of the revocation.
(3) If an application for a license or special permit indicates,
or the department determines during the application review process,
that the applicant was excluded from a facility licensed by the
department pursuant to Section 1558, 1568.092, 1569.58, or 1596.8897,
the department shall cease any further review of the application
unless the excluded individual has been reinstated pursuant to
Section 11522 of the Government Code by the department.
(4) If an application for a license indicates, or the department
determines during the application review process, that the applicant
had previously applied for a license under any of the chapters listed
in paragraph (1) and the application was denied within the last
year, the department shall cease further review of the application as
follows:
(A) In cases where the applicant petitioned for a hearing, the
department shall cease further review of the application until one
year has elapsed from the effective date of the decision and order of
the department upholding a denial.
(B) In cases where the department informed the applicant of his or
her right to petition for a hearing and the applicant did not
petition for a hearing, the department shall cease further review of
the application until one year has elapsed from the date of the
notification of the denial and the right to petition for a hearing.
(C) The department may continue to review the application if it
has determined that the reasons for the denial of the application
were due to circumstances and conditions which either have been
corrected or are no longer in existence.
(5) If an application for a license or special permit indicates,
or the department determines during the application review process,
that the applicant had previously applied for a certificate of
approval with a foster family agency and the department ordered the
foster family agency to deny the application pursuant to subdivision
(b) of Section 1534, the department shall cease further review of the
application as follows:
(A) In cases where the applicant petitioned for a hearing, the
department shall cease further review of the application until one
year has elapsed from the effective date of the decision and order of
the department upholding a denial.
(B) In cases where the department informed the applicant of his or
her right to petition for a hearing and the applicant did not
petition for a hearing, the department shall cease further review of
the application until one year has elapsed from the date of the
notification of the denial and the right to petition for a hearing.
(C) The department may continue to review the application if it
has determined that the reasons for the denial of the application
were due to circumstances and conditions that either have been
corrected or are no longer in existence.
(6) The cessation of review shall not constitute a denial of the
application for purposes of Section 1568.062 or any other law.