Section 55488 Of Article 4. Agent’s License From California Food And Agricultural Code >> Division 20. >> Chapter 6. >> Article 4.
55488
. (a) The department shall notify the applicant or holder in
writing of the department's decision to bring charges to deny or
revoke a license.
(1) The notice shall inform the applicant or holder of the charges
against him or her, of the department's proposed disciplinary
action, and of his or her rights under this chapter.
(2) The notice shall be served by certified mail to the applicant'
s or holder's last known address.
(3) The notice shall be mailed to the applicant or holder at least
30 calendar days in advance of the impending action.
(b) The department's proposed action shall become final unless the
applicant or holder appeals prior to the end of the notice period by
submitting a notice of defense to the department in a form specified
by the department. The notice shall be transmitted to the department
in a form that is written, including, but not limited to, by
facsimile.
(c) If the department receives a timely notice of defense, the
department shall schedule a hearing within 90 calendar days of
receipt of the notice of defense. Pending the final decision at the
conclusion of the hearing, a revocation shall be stayed.
(d) Proceedings for the revocation or denial of a license issued
under this chapter shall be conducted by hearing officers appointed
for that purpose by the department. The department may elect to use
hearing officers employed by the Office of Administrative Hearings.
The hearing officers shall be independent of the Market Enforcement
Bureau, but may be employees of the department. The hearing officers
shall be qualified administrative law judges.
(e) Proceedings shall be conducted generally in accordance with
the provisions of Chapters 4.5 (commencing with Section 11400) and 5
(commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of
the Government Code. However, proceedings need not conform strictly
to any "rules of court" adopted as regulations by the Office of
Administrative Hearings to guide the conduct of hearings conducted by
the Office of Administrative Hearings. The department has all power
granted by Chapters 4.5 (commencing with Section 11400) and 5
(commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of
the Government Code.
(1) The sole parties to the proceedings shall be the department
and the applicant or holder. Third party intervention shall not be
permitted. The disputes, claims, and interests of third parties shall
not be within the jurisdiction of the proceedings. However, nothing
in this paragraph prohibits any interested party from submitting an
amicus brief if the hearing officer requests written briefs.
(2) The validity of a department regulation or order shall not be
within jurisdiction of the proceedings.
(3) Law and motion matters shall be handled by the assigned
hearing officer.
(4) The hearing officer may not enter into settlement discussions.
(5) The hearing officer may not issue sanctions.
(f) In all proceedings conducted in accordance with this section,
the standard of proof to be applied is the preponderance of the
evidence. When the department seeks to revoke an existing license,
the department shall have the burden of proof and the burden of
producing evidence.
(g) Decisions following a hearing shall be adopted by the
department or the department's designee and become final unless
remanded for reconsideration or alternated in accordance with
Chapters 4.5 (commencing with Section 11400) and 5 (commencing with
Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government
Code.
(h) The department shall maintain a library of decisions that
shall be made available to any person, including the parties to
administrative actions during discovery.