Sec. 10.26.04.06. Sanctions, Hearings, and Final Order

A. Surrender of License.

(1) If a respondent offers to surrender licensure after the initiation of an investigation, before or after service of charges, or instead of any or further disciplinary action, the Board may require conditions for the surrender of the license.

(2) The Board may require conditions for surrender of a license, including, but not limited to:

(a) The admission of a violation of the Maryland Acupuncture Act;

(b) The admission of facts;

(c) A statement of the circumstances under which the surrender was offered or accepted;

(d) Restrictions on future licensure;

(e) Conditions for reinstatement of the license; or

(f) An agreement that the respondent may not again apply for reinstatement of the license.

(3) A letter of surrender is a final order of the Board and is a public record under State Government Article, §10-611, Annotated Code of Maryland, unless the Board determines that disclosure of the surrender is not in the public interest.

B. Hearings on Charges or Notice of Initial Denial.

(1) Hearings shall be conducted under State Government Article, Title 10, Annotated Code of Maryland.

(2) The Board may delegate its authority to hear contested cases to the Office of Administrative Hearings.

(3) Proceedings of the Board delegated to the Office of Administrative Hearings shall be conducted under this chapter.

(4) Proceedings are not open to the public and all records, including the recommended decision, shall be treated as confidential and sealed.

(5) If a matter has been delegated to the Office of Administrative Hearings, the administrative law judge presiding over the proceedings shall issue to the Board a recommended decision containing:

(a) Proposed or final findings of fact;

(b) Proposed or final conclusions of law;

(c) A proposed sanction; or

(d) Any combination of §B(5)(a)-(c) of this regulation under the Board's delegation.

(6) In proceedings before the Board, the Board's counsel may advise the Board on issues of law in the course of the proceedings.

C. Burden of Proof.

(1) A licensee against whom the Board has issued a notice of initial denial has the burden to demonstrate by a preponderance of the evidence that the licensee is entitled to licensure or to receive the benefit sought which the Board has initially denied.

(2) The Board has the burden to demonstrate by a preponderance of the evidence that the licensee has committed a violation or violations of the Maryland Acupuncture Act.

D. Exceptions and Exceptions Hearing.

(1) If a matter has been delegated by the Board to the Office of Administrative Hearings, each party may file exceptions to the administrative law judge's proposed findings of fact, proposed conclusions of law, and proposed sanction, as set out in the recommended decision, before the Board makes a final decision.

(2) Within 15 days after the issuance of the recommended decision, or as otherwise specified by the administrative law judge in the recommended decision, either party may file written exceptions with the Board.

(3) Unless otherwise permitted by the Board, a party's written exceptions may not be longer than 25 double-spaced pages. The exceptions shall state with particularity:

(a) The findings of fact, conclusions of law, or other matter excepted to; and

(b) The relevant portions of the record supporting the party's exception.

(4) Within 10 days after a party's exceptions are filed with the Board, the opposing party may file an answer to exceptions.

(5) Unless otherwise permitted by the Board, a party's answer to exceptions may not be longer than 25 double-spaced pages, and shall state with particularity a response to an exception and the relevant portions of the record supporting that response.

(6) Unless otherwise permitted, the Board may not consider a party's response to an answer to exceptions.

(7) Unless otherwise agreed by the parties and permitted by the Board, an exceptions hearing shall be scheduled for the next meeting of the Board following receipt of the parties' exceptions and any answer to exceptions.

(8) Exceptions Hearing.

(a) An exceptions hearing shall be held before the Board.

(b) The hearing shall be a nonevidentiary hearing to provide the parties with an opportunity for oral argument on the exceptions and answers to exceptions.

(c) The Board member presiding over the hearing shall determine all procedural issues and may impose reasonable time limits on each party's oral argument.

(d) The presiding Board member shall make any rulings reasonably necessary to facilitate the effective and efficient operation of the hearing.

(e) The party who filed the exceptions shall proceed first and may reserve part of the allotted time for rebuttal.

(9) Unless otherwise agreed by the parties and permitted by the Board, the parties may not, in exceptions, any answer to exceptions, or in the hearing on exceptions, reference any document or other evidence or offer any exhibit that is outside the record of the evidentiary hearing before either the Board or the administrative law judge.

(10) If neither party files exceptions within the time specified in §D(2) of this regulation, the Board shall consider only the recommended decision of the administrative law judge and the record of the evidentiary hearing in making its final decision.

E. Board Final Decision and Order.

(1) After review of the record and deliberation, the Board shall issue a final order consisting of findings of fact, conclusions of law, and the sanction or disposition to be imposed.

(2) If the hearing followed charges, the Board may order the dismissal of the charges, or, if it determines there has been a violation of the Maryland Acupuncture Act, the Board may order that the licensee be fined, reprimanded, placed on probation, or the license suspended or revoked.

(3) If the hearing followed a notice of initial denial of license, the Board may order the grant or denial of a license.

(4) Within 15 days after the Board issues a final order, either party may file a motion for reconsideration with the Board, which may be granted at the Board's discretion.

(5) There is no automatic right to a hearing on a party's motion for reconsideration, and the Board has the discretion to request a response to the motion from the opposing party.