9.1 Civil Penalties,
Generally.
a. Any person, firm, or corporation
that violates provisions of Ark. Code Ann. §
17-28-101
through 310 or Ark. Code Ann. §
20-31-101
through
20-31-105;
or any rule, regulation, or order promulgated by the Board; or any condition of
a license, certificate, or registration issued by the Board shall be subject to
a civil penalty that shall not exceed the following:
(1) Two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) for a
first offense;
(2) Seven hundred
fifty dollars ($750.00) for a second offense;
(3) One thousand dollars ($1000.00) for a
third offense
b. Each
day of a continuing violation shall constitute a separate offense.
c. Assessment of a civil penalty shall be
made no later than two (2) years from the date of the occurrence of the
violation.
d. The amount of civil
penalties will be determined in accordance with 9.2 of this
Regulation.
e. In civil penalty
cases, the staff of the Electrical Division of the Arkansas Department of Labor
shall notify the person, firm, or corporation charged with the violation by
Regular Mail of the following:
(1) the type of
violation(s)
(2) the date(s) of the
violation(s)
(3) the amount of the
civil penalty for the violation(s)
(4) the civil penalty determination issued by
the Electrical Division staff shall be final, unless within twenty (20) days
after receipt of this notice, the person, firm, or corporation notifies the
Director in writing that the person, firm, or corporation contests the penalty;
and
(5) the procedure for
contesting a civil penalty as provided in 9.5 of this Regulation.
f. If the person, firm,
corporation, partnership, or association charged with the violation has not
filed written notice with the Director that the charged party contests the
civil penalty within twenty (20) days after receiving notice in accordance with
9.1(e) of this Regulation, the penalty assessment by the Electrical Division
staff shall become the final determination of the Director.
g. Notice of the civil penalty may also be
delivered in the same manner as summons in civil cases or by hand-delivered
citation by an electrical inspector of the Arkansas Department of Labor.
***
9.2 Civil Penalty Assessment.
a. If upon inspection or investigation, the
Arkansas Department of Labor finds that a person, firm, or corporation has
violated any of the provisions of Ark. Code Ann. §
17-28-101
through 310 or Ark. Code Ann. §
20-31-101
through
20-31-105;
or any rule, regulation, or order promulgated by the Board; or any condition of
a license, certificate, or registration issued by the Board, such person, firm
or corporation shall be subject to a civil penalty that shall not exceed the
following:
(1) Two hundred fifty dollars
($250.00) for a first offense;
(2)
Seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00) for a second offense; and
(3) One thousand dollars ($1000.00) for a
third offense
b. The
amount of a civil penalty will be based on the Violation Fine Schedule in 9.3
of this Regulation.
c. The
Violation Fine Schedule is only a guideline to assist in consistent application
of civil monetary penalties. The Board shall only be bound by the statutory
fine scale described in Ark. Code Ann. §
17-28-309(b)(2).
d. Upon appeal, the Board may exercise its
discretion in determining the appropriate penalty according to the Violation
Fine Schedule in 9.3 of this Regulation. In determining the amount of a civil
monetary penalty, the Board may consider:
(1)
The degree and extent of harm to the public safety or to property, or the
potential for harm;
(2) The
duration and gravity of the violation;
(3) Whether the violation was committed
willfully or intentionally, or reflects a continuing pattern;
(4) Whether the violation involved elements
of fraud or deception either to the public or to the Board, or both;
(5) The violator's prior disciplinary record
with the Board;
(6) Whether and to
the extent which the violator profited by the violation.
e. No civil penalty assessments older than
two (2) years shall be used as the basis for a progressive discipline pursuant
to the Violation Fine Schedule in Regulation 9.3.
f. No provision of this subsection shall
abridge authority of the Board to evaluate all past civil money assessments by
any person, firm, or corporation to revoke or suspend any license for any
offense.
***
9.5 Contesting a Civil Penalty
a. The person, firm, or corporation may
contest the imposition of a civil penalty by filing a written request for a
hearing with the Director, 10421 West Markham, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205. The
written request must be made within twenty (20) days after receipt of
notification of the civil penalty or the assessment will become
final.
b. A written request for a
hearing shall be scheduled for a hearing before the Board.
c. The person, firm, or corporation shall be
provided at least twenty (20) days notice of the hearing. Such notice shall
include:
(1) a statement of the time, date,
place, and nature of the hearing;
(2) a statement of the legal authority and
jurisdiction under which the hearing is to be held;
(3) a short and plain statement of the
matters of fact and law asserted; and
(4) a statement that the person, firm, or
corporation may, upon written request, obtain the issuance of a subpoena by the
Director for the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of
documents.
d. The Board
shall, after consideration of the evidence, issue a decision and issue an order
setting forth findings of fact and conclusions of law. Such decision shall
become the final determination of the Board, unless judicial review is sought
within thirty (30) days pursuant to the Administrative Procedures Act, Ark.
Code Ann. §
25-15-212.
e. If any person, firm, or corporation
against whom a civil penalty has been imposed fails to pay the penalty within
sixty (60) days of the final determination, the Director of the Arkansas
Department of Labor may file an action in a court of competent jurisdiction to
collect the civil penalty, without paying costs or giving bonds for
costs.