Section 1388 Of Article 7. Discipline From California Health And Safety Code >> Division 2. >> Chapter 2.2. >> Article 7.
1388
. (a) The director may, after appropriate notice and
opportunity for hearing, by order, censure a person acting as a
solicitor or solicitor firm, or suspend for a period not exceeding 24
months or bar a person from operating as a solicitor or solicitor
firm, or assess administrative penalties against a person acting as a
solicitor or solicitor firm if the director determines that the
person has committed any of the acts or omissions constituting
grounds for disciplinary action.
(b) The following acts or omissions constitute grounds for
disciplinary action by the director:
(1) The continued operation of the solicitor or solicitor firm in
a manner that may constitute a substantial risk to a plan or
subscribers and enrollees.
(2) The solicitor or solicitor firm has violated or attempted to
violate, or conspired to violate, directly or indirectly, or assisted
in or abetted a violation or conspiracy to violate any provision of
this chapter, any rule or regulation adopted by the director pursuant
to the chapter, or any order issued by the director pursuant to this
chapter.
(3) The solicitor or solicitor firm has engaged in any conduct
that constitutes fraud or dishonest dealing or unfair competition, as
defined by Section 17200 of the Business and Professions Code.
(4) The engagement of a person as an officer, director, employee,
or associate of the solicitor firm contrary to the provisions of an
order issued by the director pursuant to subdivision (d) of this
section or subdivision (c) of Section 1386.
(5) The solicitor or solicitor firm, or its management company, or
any other affiliate of the solicitor firm, or any controlling
person, officer, director, or other person occupying a principal
management or supervisory position in that solicitor firm, management
company, or affiliate, has been convicted or pleaded nolo contendere
to a crime, or committed any act involving dishonesty, fraud, or
deceit, which crime or act is substantially related to the
qualifications, functions, or duties of a person engaged in business
in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. The director may
issue an order hereunder irrespective of a subsequent order under the
provisions of Section 1203.4 of the Penal Code.
(c) The director shall notify plans of any order issued pursuant
to subdivision (a) which suspends or bars a person from engaging in
operations as a solicitor or solicitor firm. It shall be unlawful for
any plan, after receipt of notice of the order, to receive any new
subscribers or enrollees through that person or to otherwise utilize
any solicitation services of that person in violation thereof.
(d) (1) The director may prohibit any person from serving as an
officer, director, employee, or associate of any plan or solicitor
firm, or as a solicitor, if that person was an officer, director,
employee, or associate of a solicitor firm that has been the subject
of an order of suspension or bar from engaging in operations as a
solicitor firm pursuant to this section and that person had knowledge
of, or participated in, any of the prohibited acts for which the
order was issued.
(2) A proceeding for the issuance of an order under this
subdivision may be included with a proceeding against a solicitor
firm under this section or may constitute a separate proceeding,
subject in either case to subdivision (e).
(e) A proceeding for the issuance of an order under this section
shall be subject to appropriate notice to, and the opportunity for a
hearing with regard to, the person affected in accordance with
subdivision (a) of Section 1397.