Rhode Island § 5-57-25 - Burglar and Hold-Up Alarm Businesses

§ 5-57-25. Grounds and procedure for revocation of licenses.

(a) Licenses for alarm businesses may be revoked by the licensing authority in the manner stated in this section if the licensee or any of its owners, partners, principal corporate officers, or the individual having the authority and the responsibility for the management and operation of the alarm business within the state are:

(1) Found to have violated any of the provisions of this chapter or any rule or regulation of the licensing authority which violation the licensing authority determines to reflect unfavorably upon the fitness of the licensee to engage in the alarm business;

(2) Found to have knowingly and willfully given any false information of a material nature in connection with an application for a license or a renewal or reinstatement of a license or in a notice of transfer of an alarm business licensed under this chapter;

(3) Found to have been convicted in any jurisdiction of a felony or a misdemeanor if the licensing authority determines that the conviction reflects unfavorably on the fitness of the applicant to engage in the alarm business; or

(4) Found to have committed any act while the license was not in effect that would be cause for the revocation of a license, or grounds for the denial of an application for a license of an alarm business.

(b) Prior to revocation of a license, the licensing authority shall promptly notify the licensee of its intent to issue an order of revocation and shall advise the licensee of his or her right to a hearing on the revocation in accordance with the provisions of the administrative procedures act, chapter 35 of title 42.

(c) Within ninety (90) days after the licensee has exhausted all rights of appeal under the administrative procedures act, or, if the licensee does not seek a hearing after receipt of a notice of intent to revoke from the licensing authority, then within sixty (60) days after receipt of the notice of intent to revoke, the licensee shall notify all of its subscribers within the state of that revocation and shall maintain in its records a copy of those notices. The licensee shall cease to perform any services for which it has been licensed under this chapter within sixty (60) days of its receipt of the final notice of intent to revoke from the licensing authority.

(d) Under circumstances in which the licensing authority determines that the public health, welfare, or safety may be jeopardized by the termination of a licensee’s services, the licensing authority may, upon its own motion or upon application by the licensee or any party affected by that termination, extend the time for the termination of the licensee’s operations, subject to the reasonable, necessary, and proper conditions or restrictions that it deems appropriate.

(e) After the licensing authority issues a notice of intent to revoke a license, the licensee may request that it be permitted to continue to operate subject to the terms of a written order of consent issued by the licensing authority, requiring the licensee to correct the conditions stated as grounds for revocation in the notice of intent to revoke and imposing reasonable conditions and restrictions on the licensee in the conduct of its business. The licensing authority may, in its sole discretion, grant or deny a request and may stay or postpone any proceeding being conducted pursuant to subsection (b). Negotiations for a consent order may be requested at any time during revocation proceedings and stay of pending proceedings during those negotiations shall be within the sole discretion of the licensing authority. If revocation proceedings are before a court and the licensing authority shall submit the proposed order to the court, which may approve or disapprove the proposed order or require modification of the proposed consent order before approval.

(f) The licensing authority shall enact reasonable rules and regulations for determination of whether the licensee has complied with a consent order issued pursuant to subsection (e). If the licensing authority determines that the licensee has failed to comply, it may revoke that order and conduct proceedings for the revocation of the license. If the consent order is approved by a court, then the licensing authority shall petition that court for vacation of the order. The court shall hold a hearing to determine if the order should be vacated. If the court vacates the consent order, the licensing authority may conduct proceedings for revocation of the license.