RS 37:780

§780. Hearing; notice; penalty; interest A.(1) In all cases where a charge is made against any unlicensed person, licensed dentist, or licensed dental hygienist practicing in this state, the president of the board, before any hearing of the charge, shall furnish the accused with a copy of such charges and a notice of the time and place of the hearing. The president shall also notify the accused to attend the hearing and inform him that he may appear with counsel, that he may produce witnesses and give competent evidence under oath, and that he has the right to cross-examine witnesses appearing against him and giving testimony under oath. Service of this notice shall be personal or by delivery to the place of business or residence of the accused, at least twenty days before the time fixed for the hearing or before the time and place to which adjourned. (2) When required by law to afford a licensee an opportunity to demonstrate his compliance with the provisions of this Chapter, the president, or any employee of the board designated by the president, shall provide notice to the licensee that the board intends to institute formal proceedings against the licensee, and to afford the licensee an opportunity to demonstrate his compliance with the Chapter. Said notice shall contain sufficient information to advise the licensee of the nature of the allegations against him. The notice will advise the licensee that he may appear with counsel. The notice shall inform the licensee of the time and place of the meeting, and may be served on the licensee in the same manner as in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection or by certified mail. Upon receipt of said notice, the licensee shall have ten calendar days in which to request an opportunity to demonstrate his compliance with the provisions of this Chapter. B.(1) The committee hearing the charge may cause the testimony adduced to be reduced to writing or stenographic record. Should the committee after due hearing find that the charges filed against the licensee or the unlicensed person are sustained by clear and convincing evidence, it may revoke, suspend, restrict, fine, place on probation, reprimand, or admonish, or any or all of the above, the licensed dentist or licensed dental hygienist. The committee may levy an administrative fine, but it shall assess all of the board's costs, from the start of the investigation through an administrative hearing, judicial review, and any appeals, as set forth in this Section, against the licensee or the unlicensed person. Any costs assessed by the committee shall not include costs related solely to a charge in a formal complaint in a disciplinary proceeding instituted by the board which is later dismissed or not proven at an administrative adjudication. Nothing in this Paragraph shall prohibit the board from assessing eligible costs related to additional violations when the investigation of a complaint leads to the discovery of such additional violations proven at an administrative adjudication. Should the person contend that some costs assessed by the committee are attributable solely to allegations dismissed or not proven, he may file within thirty days of his receipt of the costs claimed a motion to traverse assessment of those costs in accordance with applicable board rules. (2) Any fine imposed pursuant to this Section shall not be less than five hundred dollars nor more than five thousand dollars for each offense. (3) After a hearing wherein a charge, or a number of charges, is proven by clear and convincing evidence, and even if there is no fine imposed, the unlicensed person, the licensed dentist, or licensed dental hygienist shall pay, not later than the thirtieth day after the decision is made by the committee, all costs, from the start of the investigation through an administrative hearing, judicial review, and any appeals, including but not limited to stenographer fees, attorney fees, investigative fees and expenses, witness fees and expenses, and the per diem and expenses of the committee members, as detailed in a recapitulation of said costs provided by the board to the licensee or unlicensed person. If, for any reason, the money portion of the committee's decision is not paid by the unlicensed person, licensed dentist, or licensed dental hygienist for fines and costs imposed pursuant to this Section, the board may recover any and all reasonable attorney fees in association with the collection of them. (4) The committee shall release to the public the result of any decision rendered by it after it has become final. (5) Regardless of medium, each advertisement found by the committee to be in violation of the provisions of this Chapter shall be considered a single violation, regardless of the actual number of violations occurring in the advertisement or the number of dentists included in the advertisement. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section, any fine imposed pursuant to this Section for an advertising violation shall be not less than five hundred dollars nor more than five thousand dollars for the first offense, and the maximum allowable amount of such fine shall increase incrementally by five thousand dollars for each subsequent offense. C. Any suspension or revocation ordered by the committee or board shall take from the licensed dentist or licensed dental hygienist all rights and privileges acquired under the license issued to him. Amended by Acts 1982, No. 278, §1; Acts 1988, No. 406, §1; Acts 1993, No. 50, §1; Acts 1997, No. 83, §1; Acts 1999, No. 1358, §1; Acts 2001, No. 712, §1; Acts 2003, No. 303, §1; Acts 2005, No. 196, §1; Acts 2007, No. 42, §1; Acts 2012, No. 491, §1, eff. June 5, 2012; Acts 2014, No. 856, §1, eff. June 23, 2014.