2023 Indiana Code › Title 16. Health › Article 31. Emergency Medical Services › Chapter 3. Certification Requirements for the Provision of Emergency Medical Services › 16-31-3-14. Disciplinary Sanctions; Denial, Suspension, or Revocation; Appeals; Investigations; Reinstatement; Consistency of Sanctions

Sec. 14. (a) A person holding a certificate or license issued under this article must comply with the applicable standards and rules established under this article. A certificate holder or license holder is subject to disciplinary sanctions under subsection (b) if the department of homeland security determines that the certificate holder or license holder:
(1) engaged in or knowingly cooperated in fraud or material deception in order to obtain a certificate or license, including cheating on a certification or licensure examination;
(2) engaged in fraud or material deception in the course of professional services or activities;
(3) advertised services or goods in a false or misleading manner;
(4) falsified or knowingly allowed another person to falsify attendance records or certificates of completion of continuing education courses required under this article or rules adopted under this article;
(5) is convicted of a crime, if the act that resulted in the conviction has a direct bearing on determining if the certificate holder or license holder should be entrusted to provide emergency medical services;
(6) is convicted of violating IC 9-19-14.5;
(7) fails to comply and maintain compliance with or violates any applicable provision, standard, or other requirement of this article or rules adopted under this article;
(8) continues to practice if the certificate holder or license holder becomes unfit to practice due to:
(A) professional incompetence that includes the undertaking of professional activities that the certificate holder or license holder is not qualified by training or experience to undertake;
(B) failure to keep abreast of current professional theory or practice;
(C) physical or mental disability; or
(D) addiction to, abuse of, or dependency on alcohol or other drugs that endanger the public by impairing the certificate holder's or license holder's ability to practice safely;
(9) engages in a course of lewd or immoral conduct in connection with the delivery of services to the public;
(10) allows the certificate holder's or license holder's name or a certificate or license issued under this article to be used in connection with a person who renders services beyond the scope of that person's training, experience, or competence;
(11) is subjected to disciplinary action in another state or jurisdiction on grounds similar to those contained in this chapter. For purposes of this subdivision, a certified copy of a record of disciplinary action constitutes prima facie evidence of a disciplinary action in another jurisdiction;
(12) assists another person in committing an act that would constitute a ground for disciplinary sanction under this chapter;
(13) allows a certificate or license issued by the commission to be:
(A) used by another person; or
(B) displayed to the public when the certificate or license is expired, inactive, invalid, revoked, or suspended; or
(14) fails to notify the department in writing of any misdemeanor or felony criminal conviction, except traffic related misdemeanors other than operating a motor vehicle under the influence of a drug or alcohol, within ninety (90) days after the entry of an order or judgment. A certified copy of the order or judgment with a letter of explanation must be submitted to the department along with the written notice.
(b) The department of homeland security may issue an order under IC 4-21.5-3-6 to impose one (1) or more of the following sanctions if the department of homeland security determines that a certificate holder or license holder is subject to disciplinary sanctions under subsection (a):
(1) Revocation of a certificate holder's certificate or license holder's license for a period not to exceed seven (7) years.
(2) Suspension of a certificate holder's certificate or license holder's license for a period not to exceed seven (7) years.
(3) Censure of a certificate holder or license holder.
(4) Issuance of a letter of reprimand.
(5) Assessment of a civil penalty against the certificate holder or license holder in accordance with the following:
(A) The civil penalty may not exceed five hundred dollars ($500) per day per violation.
(B) If the certificate holder or license holder fails to pay the civil penalty within the time specified by the department of homeland security, the department of homeland security may suspend the certificate holder's certificate or license holder's license without additional proceedings.
(6) Placement of a certificate holder or license holder on probation status and requirement of the certificate holder or license holder to:
(A) report regularly to the department of homeland security upon the matters that are the basis of probation;
(B) limit practice to those areas prescribed by the department of homeland security;
(C) continue or renew professional education approved by the department of homeland security until a satisfactory degree of skill has been attained in those areas that are the basis of the probation; or
(D) perform or refrain from performing any acts, including community restitution or service without compensation, that the department of homeland security considers appropriate to the public interest or to the rehabilitation or treatment of the certificate holder or license holder.
The department of homeland security may withdraw or modify this probation if the department of homeland security finds after a hearing that the deficiency that required disciplinary action is remedied or that changed circumstances warrant a modification of the order.
(c) If an applicant or a certificate holder or license holder has engaged in or knowingly cooperated in fraud or material deception to obtain a certificate or license, including cheating on the certification or licensure examination, the department of homeland security may rescind the certificate or license if it has been granted, void the examination or other fraudulent or deceptive material, and prohibit the applicant from reapplying for the certificate or license for a length of time established by the department of homeland security.
(d) The department of homeland security may deny certification or licensure to an applicant who would be subject to disciplinary sanctions under subsection (b) if that person were a certificate holder or license holder, has had disciplinary action taken against the applicant or the applicant's certificate or license to practice in another state or jurisdiction, or has practiced without a certificate or license in violation of the law. A certified copy of the record of disciplinary action is conclusive evidence of the other jurisdiction's disciplinary action.
(e) The department of homeland security may order a certificate holder or license holder to submit to a reasonable physical or mental examination if the certificate holder's or license holder's physical or mental capacity to practice safely and competently is at issue in a disciplinary proceeding. Failure to comply with a department of homeland security order to submit to a physical or mental examination makes a certificate holder or license holder liable to temporary suspension under subsection (i).
(f) Except as provided under subsection (a), subsection (g), and section 14.5 of this chapter, a certificate or license may not be denied, revoked, or suspended because the applicant, certificate holder, or license holder has been convicted of an offense. The acts from which the applicant's, certificate holder's, or license holder's conviction resulted may be considered as to whether the applicant or certificate holder or license holder should be entrusted to serve the public in a specific capacity.
(g) The department of homeland security may deny, suspend, or revoke a certificate or license issued under this article if the individual who holds or is applying for the certificate or license is convicted of any of the following:
(1) Possession of cocaine or a narcotic drug under IC 35-48-4-6.
(2) Possession of methamphetamine under IC 35-48-4-6.1.
(3) Possession of a controlled substance under IC 35-48-4-7(a).
(4) Fraudulently obtaining a controlled substance under IC 35-48-4-7(c).
(5) Manufacture of paraphernalia as a Class D felony (for a crime committed before July 1, 2014) or Level 6 felony (for a crime committed after June 30, 2014) under IC 35-48-4-8.1(b).
(6) Dealing in paraphernalia as a Class D felony (for a crime committed before July 1, 2014) or Level 6 felony (for a crime committed after June 30, 2014) under IC 35-48-4-8.5(b).
(7) Possession of paraphernalia as a Class D felony (for a crime committed before July 1, 2014) or Level 6 felony (for a crime committed after June 30, 2014) under IC 35-48-4-8.3(b) (before its amendment on July 1, 2015).
(8) Possession of marijuana, hash oil, hashish, or salvia as a Class D felony (for a crime committed before July 1, 2014) or Level 6 felony (for a crime committed after June 30, 2014) under IC 35-48-4-11.
(9) A felony offense under IC 35-48-4 involving:
(A) possession of a synthetic drug (as defined in IC 35-31.5-2-321);
(B) possession of a synthetic drug lookalike substance (as defined in IC 35-31.5-2-321.5 (before its repeal on July 1, 2019)) as a:
(i) Class D felony (for a crime committed before July 1, 2014); or
(ii) Level 6 felony (for a crime committed after June 30, 2014);
under IC 35-48-4-11.5 (before its repeal on July 1, 2019); or
(C) possession of a controlled substance analog (as defined in IC 35-48-1-9.3).
(10) Maintaining a common nuisance under IC 35-48-4-13 (repealed) or IC 35-45-1-5, if the common nuisance involves a controlled substance.
(11) An offense relating to registration, labeling, and prescription forms under IC 35-48-4-14.
(h) A decision of the department of homeland security under subsections (b) through (g) may be appealed to the commission under IC 4-21.5-3-7.
(i) The department of homeland security may temporarily suspend a certificate holder's certificate or license holder's license under IC 4-21.5-4 before a final adjudication or during the appeals process if the department of homeland security finds that a certificate holder or license holder would represent a clear and immediate danger to the public's health, safety, or property if the certificate holder or license holder were allowed to continue to practice.
(j) On receipt of a complaint or information alleging that a person certified or licensed under this chapter or IC 16-31-3.5 has engaged in or is engaging in a practice that is subject to disciplinary sanctions under this chapter, the department of homeland security must initiate an investigation against the person.
(k) The department of homeland security shall conduct a factfinding investigation as the department of homeland security considers proper in relation to the complaint.
(l) The department of homeland security may reinstate a certificate or license that has been suspended under this section if the department of homeland security is satisfied that the applicant is able to practice with reasonable skill, competency, and safety to the public. As a condition of reinstatement, the department of homeland security may impose disciplinary or corrective measures authorized under this chapter.
(m) The department of homeland security may not reinstate a certificate or license that has been revoked under this chapter.
(n) The department of homeland security must be consistent in the application of sanctions authorized in this chapter. Significant departures from prior decisions involving similar conduct must be explained in the department of homeland security's findings or orders.
(o) A certificate holder may not surrender the certificate holder's certificate, and a license holder may not surrender the license holder's license, without the written approval of the department of homeland security, and the department of homeland security may impose any conditions appropriate to the surrender or reinstatement of a surrendered certificate or license.
(p) For purposes of this section, "certificate holder" means a person who holds:
(1) an unlimited certificate;
(2) a limited or probationary certificate; or
(3) an inactive certificate.
(q) For purposes of this section, "license holder" means a person who holds:
(1) an unlimited license;
(2) a limited or probationary license; or
(3) an inactive license.
[Pre-1993 Recodification Citation: 16-1-39-13.]
As added by P.L.2-1993, SEC.14. Amended by P.L.65-1998, SEC.1; P.L.205-2003, SEC.25; P.L.22-2005, SEC.21; P.L.1-2006, SEC.300; P.L.151-2006, SEC.6; P.L.138-2011, SEC.2; P.L.182-2011, SEC.2; P.L.78-2012, SEC.3; P.L.77-2012, SEC.34; P.L.196-2013, SEC.4; P.L.158-2013, SEC.234; P.L.168-2014, SEC.30; P.L.59-2016, SEC.2; P.L.85-2017, SEC.71; P.L.80-2019, SEC.3; P.L.142-2020, SEC.19; P.L.170-2022, SEC.28.