Current through Reg. 49, No. 38; September 20, 2024
(a) Audits.
Board staff may:
(1)
conduct on-site audits without prior notice to a provider; and
(2) enroll and attend a course without
identifying themselves as employees of the Board for purposes of auditing a
course.
(b) Audit
reports.
(1) After conducting an audit, Board
staff will prepare an audit report and send a copy of the report to the
provider who is the subject of the audit.
(2) If staff identifies deficiencies in an
audit report, the provider will be given a reasonable opportunity to cure the
deficiencies.
(3) An audit report
indicating noncompliance with AQB requirements, the Act, or Board Rules may be
referred for enforcement and treated as a written complaint against the
provider if probable cause exists to believe the noncompliance involves:
(A) gross negligence;
(B) knowledge or intent; or
(C) continued noncompliance after notice of
the audit report and a reasonable opportunity to cure it voluntarily.
(c) Reasonable
Opportunity to Cure. For purposes of this section, a reasonable opportunity to
cure means 30 days from the date a provider receives the audit
report.
(d) Extensions of time. The
Board may grant a request for an extension of time to cure deficiencies if the
provider:
(1) submits the request in writing;
and
(2) demonstrates progress
towards curing the deficiencies.
(e) Complaints, investigations and hearings.
(1) The Board will investigate complaints
against providers or that allege violations of the AQB requirements, the Act,
or Board Rules.
(2) Complaints must
be in writing, and the Board may not initiate an investigation, or take action
against a provider, based on an anonymous complaint.
(3) Board staff may initiate a complaint for
any violation of AQB requirements, the Act, or Board Rules, including a
complaint against a provider, if a document submitted to the Board provides
reasonable cause to believe a violation occurred.
(4) The Board shall provide a copy of the
complaint the provider named in the complaint.
(5) Proceedings against a provider will be
conducted in the manner required by the Act, the Administrative Procedure Act,
Chapter 2001, Government Code, and Chapter 157 of this title. Venue for any
hearing or proceeding conducted under this section will be in Travis
County.
(f) Cooperation
with audit or complaint investigation. A provider shall provide records in his
or her possession for examination by the Board or provide such information
requested by the Board not later than the 20th day after the date of receiving
a request for examination of records or information.
(g) Grounds for disciplinary action against
an approved provider.
(1) The following acts
committed by a provider are grounds for disciplinary action by the Board:
(A) procuring or attempting to procure
approval for a provider or course by fraud, misrepresentation or deceit, or by
making a material misrepresentation of fact in an application filed with the
Board;
(B) making a false
representation to the Board, either intentionally or negligently, that a person
attended a course or a portion of a course for which credit was awarded, that a
person completed an examination, or that a person completed any other
requirement for course credit;
(C)
aiding or abetting a person to circumvent the requirements for attendance
established by the Board, the completion of any examination, or any other
requirement for course credit;
(D)
failing to provide, not later than the 20th day after the date of a request,
information requested by the Board as a result of a complaint alleging a
violation of AQB requirements, the Act, or Board Rules;
(E) making a materially false statement to
the Board in response to a request from the Board for information relating to a
complaint against the provider; or
(F) disregarding or violating an AQB
requirement or provision of the Act or Board Rules.
(2) The Board may initiate a complaint
against a provider if the Board receives a complaint, or is presented with
other evidence acceptable to the Board alleging that a provider has failed to:
(A) teach the curriculum standards required
by the AQB or Board Rules; or
(B)
meet the course delivery requirements required by the AQB or Board
Rules.
(3) If after an
investigation the Board determines that a provider engaged in any of the acts
listed in this subsection, or failed to follow the curriculum standards or
course delivery requirements of the AQB or Board Rules, the Board may take one
or more of the following disciplinary actions against a provider:
(A) reprimand;
(B) impose an administrative penalty;
or
(C) suspend or revoke approval
of a provider or an ACE course offered by the provider.
(h) Probation. The Board may
probate an order of suspension or revocation issued under this section upon
reasonable terms and conditions.