45:5AA-10 Investigation, authority of board.

10. a. Should the board have cause to believe that any person is in violation of any provision of P.L.1991, c.27 (C.45:5AA-1 et seq.) or rules and regulations promulgated pursuant thereto, the board may initiate an investigation. If upon investigation the board determines that there has been a violation of the provisions of P.L.1991, c.27 (C.45:5AA-1 et seq.) or rules and regulations promulgated pursuant thereto, the board shall be authorized to:

(1) issue a letter of warning, reprimand, or censure with regard to any act, conduct, or practice which in the judgment of the board upon consideration of all relevant facts and circumstances does not warrant an initiation of formal action; or

(2) order any person violating any provision of P.L.1991, c.27 (C.45:5AA-1 et seq.) or rules and regulations promulgated pursuant thereto to cease or desist from future violations or to take such affirmative corrective action as may be necessary with regard to any act or practice found unlawful by the board; or

(3) order any person found to have violated any provision of P.L.1991, c.27 (C.45:5AA-1 et seq.) or rules and regulations promulgated pursuant thereto to restore any person for whom landscape irrigation contracting work was done to his position prior to performance of the work; or

(4) assess a civil administrative penalty in accordance with section 9 of P.L.1991, c.27 (C.45:5AA-9);

(5) Bring a civil action for injunctive or any other appropriate relief to prohibit and prevent such violation or violations in accordance with section 9 of P.L.1991, c.27 (C.45:5AA-9);

(6) Bring a civil action for a civil penalty in accordance with section 9 of P.L.1991, c.27 (C.45:5AA-9); or (7) revoke or suspend a certificate or business permit pursuant to section 8 of P.L.1991, c.27 (C.45:5AA-8).

The use of any of the remedies specified under this section shall not preclude use of any other remedy specified.

b. Any person to which an order or assessment of civil administrative penalty or a notice of revocation of a certificate or business permit is issued has 20 days from the receipt of the order to deliver to the board a written request for a hearing. Upon receipt of that request, the board shall determine whether to conduct the hearing itself or refer the matter to the Office of Administrative Law, which shall assign an Administrative Law Judge to conduct a hearing in the form of a contested case pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.). If the matter is referred to the Office of Administrative Law, the board shall affirm, reject, or modify the decision within 45 days of receipt of the Administrative Law Judge's initial decision by issuing its own final decision. The board's action shall be considered the final agency action for the purposes of the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), and shall be subject only to judicial review as provided in the Rules of Court.

c. If no hearing is requested, an order becomes a final order upon the expiration of the 20-day period. This final order shall be considered the final agency action for the purposes of the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), and shall be subject only to judicial review as provided in the Rules of Court. Payment of an administrative penalty is due when a final order is issued or when the order becomes a final order. Pending the determination by the board and upon application by a person to whom an order or notice of revocation is issued, the board may stay operation of an order upon such terms and conditions as it deems proper.

L.1991, c.27, s.10; amended 2009, c.229, s.9.