Mississippi Code 1972 (2023) › Title 73 - PROFESSIONS AND VOCATIONS (§§ 73-1-1 — 73-79-1) › Chapter 24 - Occupational Therapy Practice (§§ 73-24-1 — 73-24-51) › Article 1 - MISSISSIPPI OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY PRACTICE ACT (§§ 73-24-1 — 73-24-29) › Section 73-24-25 - Notice and hearing; complaints; formal charges; appeals; sanctions; summary license suspension; consent order; license reinstatement; license suspension for failure to comply with order of support

(1)
Any person whose application for a license or compact privilege is denied shall be entitled to a hearing before the board if he or she submits a written request to the board. Such hearing shall be conducted at the earliest possible date. A subcommittee of the council shall attend and may offer relevant evidence at any such hearing. The board shall fix a time and place for the hearing and shall cause a written copy of the reason for denial of the license or compact privilege, together with a notice of the time and place fixed for the hearing, to be served on the applicant requesting the hearing and shall serve notice of such hearing on the council. Service of and notice of the hearing may be given by United States certified mail, return receipt requested, to the last known address of the licensee or applicant. For purposes of the hearing, the board, acting by and through the Executive Director of the State Board of Health, shall have the power to subpoena persons and compel the production of records, papers and other documents.
(2)
(a)
All complaints concerning a licensee's business or professional practice shall be received by the board. Each complaint received shall be registered, recording at a minimum the following information:
(i)
licensee's name;
(ii)
name of the complaining party, if known;
(iii)
date of complaint;
(iv)
brief statement of complaint; and
(v)
disposition.
(b)
Following the investigative process, the board may file formal charges against the licensee. Such formal complaint, at a minimum, shall inform the licensee of the facts which are the basis of the charge and which are specific enough to enable the licensee to defend against the charges.
(c)
Each licensee whose conduct is the subject of a formal charge which seeks to impose disciplinary action against the licensee shall be served notice of the formal charge at least thirty (30) days before the date of the hearing, which hearing shall be presided over by the board or the board's designee. Service shall be considered to have been given if the notice was personally received by the licensee or if the notice was sent by United States certified mail, return receipt requested, to the licensee at the licensee's last known address as listed with the state agency.
(d)
The notice of the formal charge shall consist, at a minimum, of the following information:
(i)
The time, place and date of the hearing;
(ii)
Notification that the licensee shall appear personally at the hearing and may be represented by counsel;
(iii)
Notification that the licensee shall have the right to produce witnesses and evidence in his or her behalf and shall have the right to cross-examine adverse witnesses and evidence;
(iv)
Notification that the hearing could result in disciplinary action being taken against the licensee;
(v)
Notification that rules for the conduct of the hearing exist, and it may be in the licensee's best interest to obtain a copy;
(vi)
Notification that the board or its designee shall preside at the hearing, and following the conclusion of the hearing, shall make findings of facts, conclusions of law and recommendations, separately stated, to the board as to what disciplinary action, if any, should be imposed on the licensee;
(vii)
The board or its designee shall hear evidence produced in support of the formal charges and contrary evidence produced by the licensee. At the conclusion of the hearing, the board shall issue an order; and
(viii)
All proceedings under this section are matters of public record and shall be preserved in accordance with state law.
(3)
In addition to other remedies provided by law or in equity, any applicant or licensee aggrieved by any action of the board may appeal the action of the board to the chancery court of the county of his or her residence if he or she be a resident of this state, or to the Chancery Court of the First Judicial District of Hinds County, Mississippi, if he or she be a nonresident of this state. An appeal shall be filed within thirty (30) days immediately following the mailing or delivery to the applicant or licensee of a copy of the order of judgment of the board, unless the court, for good cause shown, extends the time. The court after a hearing may modify, affirm or reverse the judgment of the board or may remand the case to the board for further proceedings. An appeal from the chancery court may be had to the Supreme Court of the State of Mississippi as provided by law for any final judgment of the chancery court. If the board appeals a judgment of the chancery court, no bond shall be required of it in order to perfect its appeal.
(4)
The board may impose any of the following sanctions, singly or in combination, when it finds that a licensee is guilty of any such offense:
(a)
Revoke the license or compact privilege;
(b)
Suspend the license or compact privilege, for any period of time;
(c)
Censure the licensee;
(d)
Impose a monetary penalty of not more than Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00);
(e)
Place a licensee on probationary status and requiring the licensee to submit to any of the following:
(i)
report regularly to the board, or its designee, upon matters which are the basis of probation;
(ii)
continue to renew professional education until a satisfactory degree of skill has been attained in those areas which are the basis of probation; or
(iii)
such other reasonable requirement or restrictions as the board deems proper;
(f)
Refuse to renew a license or compact privilege; or
(g)
Revoke probation which has been granted and impose any other disciplinary action under this subsection when the requirements of probation have not been fulfilled or have been violated.
(5)
The board summarily may suspend a license or compact privilege under this chapter without the filing of a formal complaint, notice or a hearing, if the board finds that the continued practice in the profession by the licensee would constitute an immediate danger to the public. If the board summarily suspends a license or compact privilege under the provisions of this subsection a hearing must be held within twenty (20) days after suspension begins, unless the hearing date is continued at the request of the licensee.
(6)
Disposition of any formal complaint may be made by consent order or stipulation between the board and the licensee.
(7)
The board may reinstate any licensee to good standing under this article if, after hearing, the board is satisfied that the applicant's renewed practice is in the public interest.
(8)
The board may seek the counsel of the Occupational Therapy Advisory Council regarding disciplinary actions.
(9)
The board shall seek to achieve consistency in the application of the foregoing sanctions, and significant departure from prior decisions involving similar conduct shall be explained by the board.
(10)
In addition, the board shall be authorized to suspend the license of any licensee for being out of compliance with an order for support, as defined in Section
93-11-153
. The procedure for suspension of a license for being out of compliance with an order for support, and the procedure for reissuance or reinstatement of a license suspended for that purpose, and the payment of any fees for the reissuance or reinstatement of a license suspended for that purpose, shall be governed by Section
93-11-157
or
93-11-163
, as the case may be. If there is any conflict between any provision of Section
93-11-157
or
93-11-163
and any provision of this article, the provisions of Section
93-11-157
or
93-11-163
, as the case may be, shall control.
Laws, 1988, ch. 451, § 13; Laws, 1996, ch. 507, § 54; Laws, 2001, ch. 424, § 11, eff. 7/1/2001.
Amended by Laws, 2023, ch. 424, HB 259,§ 13, eff. 7/1/2023.