(1) The department may revoke, suspend, or deny the issuance or renewal of a license; reprimand, censure, or place on probation any contractor, consultant, financially responsible officer, or business organization; require financial restitution to a consumer; impose an administrative fine not to exceed $5,000 per violation; require continuing education; or assess costs associated with any investigation and prosecution if the contractor or consultant, or business organization or officer or agent thereof, is found guilty of any of the following acts:
(a) Willfully or deliberately disregarding or violating the health and safety standards of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, the Construction Safety Act, the National Emission Standards for Asbestos, the Environmental Protection Agency Asbestos Abatement Projects Worker Protection Rule, the Florida Statutes or rules promulgated thereunder, or any ordinance enacted by a political subdivision of this state.
(b) Violating any provision of chapter 455.
(c) Failing in any material respect to comply with the provisions of this chapter or any rule promulgated hereunder.
(d) Acting in the capacity of an asbestos contractor or asbestos consultant under any license issued under this chapter except in the name of the licensee as set forth on the issued license.
(e) Proceeding on any job without obtaining all applicable approvals, authorizations, permits, and inspections.
(f) Obtaining a license by fraud or misrepresentation.
(g) Being convicted or found guilty of, or entering a plea of nolo contendere to, regardless of adjudication, a crime in any jurisdiction which directly relates to the practice of asbestos consulting or contracting or the ability to practice asbestos consulting or contracting.
(h) Knowingly violating any building code, lifesafety code, or county or municipal ordinance relating to the practice of asbestos consulting or contracting.
(i) Performing any act which assists a person or entity in engaging in the prohibited unlicensed practice of asbestos consulting or contracting, if the licensee knows or has reasonable grounds to know that the person or entity was unlicensed.
(j) Committing mismanagement or misconduct in the practice of contracting that causes financial harm to a customer. Financial mismanagement or misconduct occurs when:
1. Valid liens have been recorded against the property of a contractor’s customer for supplies or services ordered by the contractor for the customer’s job; the contractor has received funds from the customer to pay for the supplies or services; and the contractor has not had the liens removed from the property, by payment or by bond, within 75 days after the date of such liens;
2. The contractor has abandoned a customer’s job and the percentage of completion is less than the percentage of the total contract price paid to the contractor as of the time of abandonment, unless the contractor is entitled to retain such funds under the terms of the contract or refunds the excess funds within 30 days after the date the job is abandoned; or
3. The contractor’s job has been completed, and it is shown that the customer has had to pay more for the contracted job than the original contract price, as adjusted for subsequent change orders, unless such increase in cost was the result of circumstances beyond the control of the contractor, was the result of circumstances caused by the customer, or was otherwise permitted by the terms of the contract between the contractor and the customer.
(k) Being disciplined by any municipality or county for an act or violation of this chapter.
(l) Failing in any material respect to comply with the provisions of this chapter, or violating a rule or lawful order of the department.
(m) Abandoning an asbestos abatement project in which the asbestos contractor is engaged or under contract as a contractor. A project may be presumed abandoned after 20 days if the contractor terminates the project without just cause and without proper notification to the owner, including the reason for termination; if the contractor fails to reasonably secure the project to safeguard the public while work is stopped; or if the contractor fails to perform work without just cause for 20 days.
(n) Signing a statement with respect to a project or contract falsely indicating that the work is bonded; falsely indicating that payment has been made for all subcontracted work, labor, and materials which results in a financial loss to the owner, purchaser, or contractor; or falsely indicating that workers’ compensation and public liability insurance are provided.
(o) Committing fraud or deceit in the practice of asbestos consulting or contracting.
(p) Committing incompetency or misconduct in the practice of asbestos consulting or contracting.
(q) Committing gross negligence, repeated negligence, or negligence resulting in a significant danger to life or property in the practice of asbestos consulting or contracting.
(r) Intimidating, threatening, coercing, or otherwise discouraging the service of a notice to owner under part I of chapter 713 or a notice to contractor under chapter 255 or part I of chapter 713.
(s) Failing to satisfy, within a reasonable time, the terms of a civil judgment obtained against the licensee, or the business organization qualified by the licensee, relating to the practice of the licensee’s profession.
For the purposes of this subsection, construction is considered to be commenced when the contract is executed and the contractor has accepted funds from the customer or lender.
(2) If a contractor or consultant disciplined under subsection (1) is a qualifying agent for a business organization and the violation was performed in connection with any asbestos survey, operation and maintenance plan, abatement project, or asbestos-related activities undertaken by that business organization, the department may impose an additional administrative fine not to exceed $5,000 per violation against the business organization or against any partner, officer, director, trustee, or member of such organization if such person participated in the violation or knew or should have known of the violation and failed to take reasonable corrective action.
(3) Nothing in this chapter may be construed to limit the power of any board within the department to discipline any licensee disciplined pursuant to this chapter for acts which constitute a violation of any other practice act, notwithstanding that such acts are part of the same transaction or occurrence.
(4) Revocation of any license under this chapter is permanent.
(a) A licensee is not eligible to apply for relicensure and is not eligible to be a partner, officer, director, or trustee of, or be employed in a managerial or supervisory capacity by, a business organization defined by s. 469.006 for a period of 5 years from the date the revocation is effective.
(b) The department shall by rule provide criteria for application for licensure following revocation.
History.—s. 53, ch. 94-119; s. 106, ch. 98-166; s. 167, ch. 2000-160.