Texas Administrative Code
Title 28 - INSURANCE
Part 2 - TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE, DIVISION OF WORKERS' COMPENSATION
Chapter 180 - MONITORING AND ENFORCEMENT
Subchapter A - GENERAL RULES FOR ENFORCEMENT
Section 180.8 - Notices of Violation; Notices of Hearing; Default Judgments

Universal Citation: 28 TX Admin Code ยง 180.8

Current through Reg. 49, No. 38; September 20, 2024

(a) A notice of violation (NOV) is a notice issued to a system participant when the division finds that the system participant has committed an administrative violation and the division seeks to impose a sanction under the Act or division rules. An NOV is not required to be issued before or after the issuance of an ex parte emergency cease and desist order.

(b) An NOV shall be in writing and include:

(1) the provision(s) of the Act, rule, order, or decision of the commissioner that the system participant violated;

(2) a summary of the facts that establish that the violation(s) occurred;

(3) a description of the proposed sanction that the division intends to impose;

(4) a statement of the basis for the proposed sanction including:
(A) a description of the underlying facts considered by the division for each of the factors listed in Labor Code § 415.021(c) and (c-2), if applicable, (relating to Assessment of Administrative Penalties) and § 180.26 of this title (relating to Criteria for Proposing, Recommending and Determining Sanctions; Other Remedies) in determining the appropriateness of the division's proposed sanction;

(B) a description of which factors under Labor Code § 415.021(c) and (c-2), if applicable, and § 180.26 of this title had a mitigating or aggravating effect on the division's proposed sanctions; and

(C) a description of the division's proposed sanction for each violation or violation type in the case of repeated administrative violations. This requirement does not prohibit the division from considering the aggregate impact of all administrative violations described in the NOV when proposing a sanction if justice requires such consideration;

(5) the right to consent to the charge and the proposed sanction(s);

(6) the right to request a hearing; and

(7) other information about the rights, obligations, and procedures for requesting a hearing.

(c) The charged party shall file a written answer to the NOV not later than the twentieth day after the day the notice is received. The answer shall either consent to the proposed sanction, and remit the amount of the penalty, if any, or request a hearing by being filed with the division's chief clerk of proceedings. If the charged party fails to respond to the NOV within 20 days of receipt of the notice, the division shall schedule a hearing at the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) and provide notice of hearing to the charged party that meets the requirements of § 148.5 of this title (relating to Notice of Hearing) and must include the information in subsection (b)(3) and (4) of this section.

(d) A charged party that receives a notice of hearing under subsection (c) of this section shall, within 20 days of the date on which the notice of hearing is provided to the party, file a written answer or other responsive pleading. Such response shall be filed in accordance with 1 TAC § 155.101 of this title (relating to Filing Documents) and § 155.103 of this title (relating to Service of Documents on Parties).

(e) For purposes of this section, events described in paragraphs (1) or (2) of this subsection constitute a default on the part of a charged party who receives a notice of hearing under subsection (c) of this section:

(1) failure of the charged party to file a written response as provided by subsection (d) of this section; or

(2) failure of the charged party to appear in person or by legal representative on the day and at the time set for hearing in a contested case at SOAH, regardless of whether a written response has been filed.

(f) In the event that a charged party defaults as described by subsection (e) of this section, the division may seek informal disposition by default by the commissioner as permitted by Government Code § 2001.056.

(g) For purposes of this subchapter, "disposition by default" shall mean the issuance of an order against the charged party in which the allegations against the party in the notice of hearing are deemed admitted as true, upon the offer of proof to the commissioner that proper notice was provided to the defaulting party. For purposes of this section, proper notice means notice sufficient to meet the provisions of the Government Code § 2001.051 and § 2001.052 and § 148.5 of this title (relating to Notice of Hearing).

(h) After informal disposition of a contested case by default, a charged party may file a written motion to set aside the default order and reopen the record. A motion by the charged party to set aside the default order and reopen the record shall be granted by the commissioner if the charged party establishes that the failure to file a written response or to attend the hearing was neither intentional nor the result of conscious indifference, and that such failure was due to a mistake or accident. A motion to set aside the default order and reopen the record shall be filed by the charged party with the division's chief clerk of proceedings prior to the time that the order of the commissioner becomes final pursuant to the applicable provisions of Government Code, Chapter 2001, Subchapter F.

(i) A motion to set aside the default order and reopen the record is not a motion for rehearing and is not to be considered a substitute for a motion for rehearing. A motion for rehearing is required in order to exhaust administrative remedies. The filing of a motion to set aside the default order and reopen the record has no effect on either the statutory time periods for the filing of a motion for rehearing or on the time period for ruling on a motion for rehearing, as provided in applicable provisions of the Government Code, Chapter 2001, Subchapter F.

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