A. Upon receipt of a complaint by a licensing board relating to a violation of the Oklahoma Medical Micropigmentation Regulation Act or any rules promulgated thereto, the licensing board shall cause an investigation to be made. If during the investigation, the licensing board determines that the alleged violation of the Oklahoma Medical Micropigmentation Regulation Act or any rules promulgated thereto may have been committed by any person other than a physician or any other person subject to the licensing board’s regulatory authority, the licensing board shall immediately notify the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

B. 1. Upon receipt of a complaint by the Department or upon receipt of notice pursuant to subsection A of this section relating to an alleged violation of the Oklahoma Medical Micropigmentation Regulation Act or rules promulgated thereto which involve the practice of micropigmentation in the office of a physician, the Department shall:

a.notify the appropriate licensing board of the complaint and request a joint inspection, or

b.refer the complaint to the appropriate licensing board for investigation.

2. The licensing boards shall give priority to investigations of complaints for which the Department has requested a joint inspection.

C. 1. If a person other than a physician, after proper notice and hearing as provided in the Administrative Procedures Act, is found to have violated one or more provisions of the Oklahoma Medical Micropigmentation Regulation Act, the State Department of Health may impose one or more of the following penalties:

a.suspend or revoke a certificate,

b.seek injunctive relief,

c.reprimand the certificate holder,

d.place a certificate holder on probation for a specified period of time,

e.deny renewal of a certificate,

f.require a special quality review of the certificate holder, subject to such procedures as the Department by rule deems appropriate,

g.require the person or entity to pay all costs incurred as a result of hearings conducted regarding actions of the subject of the hearing including, but not limited to, investigation costs, hearing officer costs, renting of special facilities costs, and court reporter costs, or

h.in addition to any criminal penalty imposed pursuant to the Oklahoma Medical Micropigmentation Regulation Act, assess an administrative penalty not to exceed Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00).

2. Any physician alleged to have violated the Oklahoma Medical Micropigmentation Regulation Act or rules promulgated by the licensing board thereto shall be subject to penalties established pursuant to law by the licensing board which has authority to regulate the physician.

B. In addition to the penalties provided for in subsection A of this section, the Department may request the district attorney to bring an action in the district court for the prosecution of any person for a violation of any provision of the Oklahoma Medical Micropigmentation Regulation Act, or order issued or rules promulgated pursuant thereto.

C. Upon application in writing and upon good cause, the Department may reinstate a certificate which has been revoked or suspended or may modify the certificate when reinstated. A person whose certificate has been revoked or suspended may not reapply for reinstatement during the time period set by the Department which shall not exceed five (5) years.

D. 1. Administrative penalties assessed by the Department under the provisions of the Oklahoma Medical Micropigmentation Regulation Act shall be imposed and enforced pursuant to the Administrative Procedures Act and may be enforced in district court as authorized by the Administrative Procedures Act.

2. All monies, excluding costs, collected from administrative penalties authorized in this section, shall be deposited pursuant to Section 1-1701.1B of Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

E. Any person convicted of violating the provisions of the Oklahoma Medical Micropigmentation Regulation Act or orders issued or rules promulgated pursuant thereto shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in the county jail not to exceed ninety (90) days, a fine of not more than One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment. Each day upon which such violation occurs shall constitute a separate violation.

F. The provisions of this section shall apply to:

1. Any person certified to perform medical micropigmentation pursuant to the Oklahoma Medical Micropigmentation Regulation Act and who is alleged to be in violation of the Oklahoma Medical Micropigmentation Regulation Act or rule or order issued pursuant thereto; and

2. Any person who does not hold a certificate or is not authorized to practice medical micropigmentation pursuant to the Oklahoma Medical Micropigmentation Regulation Act and is practicing or holding himself or herself as authorized to practice medical micropigmentation.

Added by Laws 2001, c. 384, § 9, emerg. eff. June 4, 2001.