(a) The commissioner, after reasonable notice to and hearing of any licensee, may suspend or revoke the licensee's license for cause shown. In addition to or in lieu of suspension or revocation, the commissioner may impose a fine not to exceed five thousand dollars. Hearings may be held by the commissioner or by any person designated by the commissioner. Whenever a person other than the commissioner acts as the hearing officer, such person shall submit to the commissioner a memorandum of the findings and recommendations upon which the commissioner may base a decision.

(b) If an insurance license held by a firm, association or corporation is revoked, the insurance licenses of any principal of such firm or association or any officer or director of such corporation shall be revoked, unless the commissioner determines that such principal, officer or director was not personally at fault in the matter on account of which such license held by the firm, association or corporation was revoked.

(c) Any person aggrieved by the action of the commissioner in revoking, suspending or refusing to grant or reissue a license or in imposing a fine may appeal therefrom in accordance with the provisions of section 4-183, except venue for such appeal shall be in the judicial district of New Britain. Appeals under this section shall be privileged in respect to the order of trial assignment.

(1949 Rev., S. 6061; 1963, P.A. 36; 1967, P.A. 158; 1971, P.A. 870, S. 97; P.A. 76-436, S. 631, 681; P.A. 77-603, S. 114, 125; P.A. 78-280, S. 5, 127; P.A. 88-230, S. 1, 12; P.A. 90-98, S. 1, 2; 90-243, S. 31; P.A. 93-142, S. 4, 7, 8; P.A. 94-160, S. 16, 24; P.A. 95-220, S. 4–6; P.A. 99-215, S. 24, 29; P.A. 08-178, S. 34.)

History: 1963 act specified that commissioner or his designee may hold hearings and that petitions are privileged in respect to order of trial assignment; 1967 act allowed imposition of $1,000 fine and required hearing officer to submit memorandum of findings and recommendations upon which commissioner may base his decision; 1971 act replaced superior court with court of common pleas, effective September 1, 1971, except that courts with cases pending retain jurisdiction unless pending matters deemed transferable; P.A. 76-436 replaced court of common pleas with superior court, effective July 1, 1978; P.A. 77-603 replaced previous detailed appeal provisions with provision requiring appeals to be made in accordance with Sec. 4-183 but retaining venue in Hartford county; P.A. 78-280 replaced “Hartford county” with “judicial district of Hartford-New Britain”; P.A. 88-230 replaced “judicial district of Hartford-New Britain” with “judicial district of Hartford”, effective September 1, 1991; P.A. 90-98 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1991, to September 1, 1993; P.A. 90-243 made technical correction for clarity to indicate that the commissioner issues the licenses, substituted “the” for “such” and substituted “hearings” for “such hearings”; Sec. 38-74 transferred to Sec. 38a-774 in 1991; P.A. 93-142 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1993, to September 1, 1996, effective June 14, 1993; P.A. 94-160 inserted new Subsec. (b) requiring that if any insurance license held by a firm, association or corporation is revoked, the licenses of the principals of such firm or association shall also be revoked and relettered the former Subsec. (b) to (c), effective June 2, 1994; P.A. 95-220 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1996, to September 1, 1998, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 99-215 replaced “judicial district of Hartford” with “judicial district of New Britain” in Subsec. (c), effective June 29, 1999; P.A. 08-178 amended Subsec. (a) by making technical changes and increasing maximum fine from $1,000 to $5,000.

See Sec. 38a-713 re penalty for signing or countersigning insurance policies in blank.