44-9211. Director; powers; nonrenewal or denial of application; notice; hearing; administrative fine; director; enforce act.
(1) The director may suspend, revoke, or refuse to issue or renew a resident public adjuster license, nonresident public adjuster license, or business entity public adjuster license or may levy an administrative fine in accordance with subsection (4) of this section, or any combination of such actions, for any one or more of the following causes:
(a) Providing incorrect, misleading, incomplete, or materially untrue information in the license application;
(b) Violating any insurance law or violating any rule, regulation, subpoena, or order of the director or of another state's insurance commissioner or director;
(c) Obtaining or attempting to obtain a license through misrepresentation or fraud;
(d) Improperly withholding, misappropriating, or converting any money or property received in the course of doing business;
(e) Intentionally misrepresenting the terms of an actual or proposed insurance contract or application for insurance;
(f) Having been convicted of a felony or a Class I, II, or III misdemeanor;
(g) Having admitted or been found to have committed any insurance unfair trade practice, any unfair claims settlement practice, or any fraud;
(h) Using fraudulent, coercive, or dishonest practices or demonstrating incompetence, untrustworthiness, or financial irresponsibility in the conduct of business in this state or elsewhere or failing to comply with section 44-9217;
(i) Having an insurance or public adjuster license, or the equivalent thereof, denied, suspended, placed on probation, or revoked in Nebraska or in any other state, province, district, or territory;
(j) Forging another's name to an application for insurance or to any document related to an insurance transaction;
(k) Improperly using notes or any other reference material to complete an examination for an insurance license;
(l) Knowingly accepting insurance business from an individual who is not licensed;
(m) Failing to comply with an administrative or court order imposing a child support obligation pursuant to the License Suspension Act;
(n) Failing to pay state income tax or comply with any administrative or court order directing payment of state income tax; or
(o) Failing to maintain in good standing a resident license in the public adjuster’s home state.
(2) If the director does not renew or denies an application for a public adjuster license, the director shall notify the applicant or licensee and advise, in writing, the applicant or licensee of the reason for the denial or nonrenewal of the applicant's or licensee's license. The applicant or licensee may make written demand upon the director within thirty days for a hearing before the director to determine the reasonableness of the director's action. The hearing shall be held within thirty days and shall be held pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act.
(3) A business entity public adjuster license may be suspended, revoked, or refused if the director finds, after notice and hearing, that a violation committed by an individual licensee providing services through the business entity was known or should have been known by one or more of the partners, officers, or managers acting on behalf of the business entity and the violation was neither reported to the director nor corrective action taken.
(4) In addition to or in lieu of any applicable denial, suspension, or revocation of a license, any person violating the act may, after notice and hearing, be subject to an administrative fine of not more than one thousand dollars per violation. Such fine may be enforced in the same manner as civil judgments. Any person charged with a violation of the Public Adjusters Licensing Act may waive his or her right to a hearing and consent to such discipline as the director determines is appropriate. The Administrative Procedure Act shall govern all hearings held pursuant to this subsection.
(5) The director shall retain the authority to enforce the provisions of and impose any penalty or remedy authorized by the Public Adjusters Licensing Act against any person who is under investigation for or charged with a violation of the act even if the person's license or registration has been surrendered or has lapsed by operation of law. No disciplinary proceeding shall be instituted against any licensed person after the expiration of three years from the termination of such license.
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