Section 335.066

Title XXII OCCUPATIONS AND PROFESSIONS

Chapter 335

Effective - 28 Aug 2007, 3 histories, see footnote   (history) 

  335.066.  Denial, revocation, or suspension of license, grounds for, civil immunity for providing information — complaint procedures. — 1. The board may refuse to issue or reinstate any certificate of registration or authority, permit or license required pursuant to chapter 335 for one or any combination of causes stated in subsection 2 of this section or the board may, as a condition to issuing or reinstating any such permit or license, require a person to submit himself or herself for identification, intervention, treatment, or rehabilitation by the impaired nurse program as provided in section 335.067. The board shall notify the applicant in writing of the reasons for the refusal and shall advise the applicant of his or her right to file a complaint with the administrative hearing commission as provided by chapter 621.

  2. The board may cause a complaint to be filed with the administrative hearing commission as provided by chapter 621 against any holder of any certificate of registration or authority, permit or license required by sections 335.011 to 335.096 or any person who has failed to renew or has surrendered his or her certificate of registration or authority, permit or license for any one or any combination of the following causes:

  (1) Use or unlawful possession of any controlled substance, as defined in chapter 195, or alcoholic beverage to an extent that such use impairs a person's ability to perform the work of any profession licensed or regulated by sections 335.011 to 335.096;

  (2) The person has been finally adjudicated and found guilty, or entered a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, in a criminal prosecution pursuant to the laws of any state or of the United States, for any offense reasonably related to the qualifications, functions or duties of any profession licensed or regulated pursuant to sections 335.011 to 335.096, for any offense an essential element of which is fraud, dishonesty or an act of violence, or for any offense involving moral turpitude, whether or not sentence is imposed;

  (3) Use of fraud, deception, misrepresentation or bribery in securing any certificate of registration or authority, permit or license issued pursuant to sections 335.011 to 335.096 or in obtaining permission to take any examination given or required pursuant to sections 335.011 to 335.096;

  (4) Obtaining or attempting to obtain any fee, charge, tuition or other compensation by fraud, deception or misrepresentation;

  (5) Incompetency, misconduct, gross negligence, fraud, misrepresentation or dishonesty in the performance of the functions or duties of any profession licensed or regulated by sections 335.011 to 335.096;

  (6) Violation of, or assisting or enabling any person to violate, any provision of sections 335.011 to 335.096, or of any lawful rule or regulation adopted pursuant to sections 335.011 to 335.096;

  (7) Impersonation of any person holding a certificate of registration or authority, permit or license or allowing any person to use his or her certificate of registration or authority, permit, license or diploma from any school;

  (8) Disciplinary action against the holder of a license or other right to practice any profession regulated by sections 335.011 to 335.096 granted by another state, territory, federal agency or country upon grounds for which revocation or suspension is authorized in this state;

  (9) A person is finally adjudged insane or incompetent by a court of competent jurisdiction;

  (10) Assisting or enabling any person to practice or offer to practice any profession licensed or regulated by sections 335.011 to 335.096 who is not registered and currently eligible to practice pursuant to sections 335.011 to 335.096;

  (11) Issuance of a certificate of registration or authority, permit or license based upon a material mistake of fact;

  (12) Violation of any professional trust or confidence;

  (13) Use of any advertisement or solicitation which is false, misleading or deceptive to the general public or persons to whom the advertisement or solicitation is primarily directed;

  (14) Violation of the drug laws or rules and regulations of this state, any other state or the federal government;

  (15) Placement on an employee disqualification list or other related restriction or finding pertaining to employment within a health-related profession issued by any state or federal government or agency following final disposition by such state or federal government or agency;

  (16) Failure to successfully complete the impaired nurse program.

  3. After the filing of such complaint, the proceedings shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of chapter 621. Upon a finding by the administrative hearing commission that the grounds, provided in subsection 2 of this section, for disciplinary action are met, the board may, singly or in combination, censure or place the person named in the complaint on probation on such terms and conditions as the board deems appropriate for a period not to exceed five years, or may suspend, for a period not to exceed three years, or revoke the license, certificate, or permit.

  4. For any hearing before the full board, the board shall cause the notice of the hearing to be served upon such licensee in person or by certified mail to the licensee at the licensee's last known address. If service cannot be accomplished in person or by certified mail, notice by publication as described in subsection 3 of section 506.160 shall be allowed; any representative of the board is authorized to act as a court or judge would in that section; any employee of the board is authorized to act as a clerk would in that section.

  5. An individual whose license has been revoked shall wait one year from the date of revocation to apply for relicensure. Relicensure shall be at the discretion of the board after compliance with all the requirements of sections 335.011 to 335.096 relative to the licensing of an applicant for the first time.

  6. The board may notify the proper licensing authority of any other state concerning the final disciplinary action determined by the board on a license in which the person whose license was suspended or revoked was also licensed of the suspension or revocation.

  7. Any person, organization, association or corporation who reports or provides information to the board of nursing pursuant to the provisions of sections 335.011 to 335.259* and who does so in good faith shall not be subject to an action for civil damages as a result thereof.

  8. If the board concludes that a nurse has committed an act or is engaging in a course of conduct which would be grounds for disciplinary action which constitutes a clear and present danger to the public health and safety, the board may file a complaint before the administrative hearing commission requesting an expedited hearing and specifying the activities which give rise to the danger and the nature of the proposed restriction or suspension of the nurse's license. Within fifteen days after service of the complaint on the nurse, the administrative hearing commission shall conduct a preliminary hearing to determine whether the alleged activities of the nurse appear to constitute a clear and present danger to the public health and safety which justify that the nurse's license be immediately restricted or suspended. The burden of proving that a nurse is a clear and present danger to the public health and safety shall be upon the state board of nursing. The administrative hearing commission shall issue its decision immediately after the hearing and shall either grant to the board the authority to suspend or restrict the license or dismiss the action.

  9. If the administrative hearing commission grants temporary authority to the board to restrict or suspend the nurse's license, such temporary authority of the board shall become final authority if there is no request by the nurse for a full hearing within thirty days of the preliminary hearing. The administrative hearing commission shall, if requested by the nurse named in the complaint, set a date to hold a full hearing under the provisions of chapter 621 regarding the activities alleged in the initial complaint filed by the board.

  10. If the administrative hearing commission refuses to grant temporary authority to the board or restrict or suspend the nurse's license under subsection 8 of this section, such dismissal shall not bar the board from initiating a subsequent disciplinary action on the same grounds.

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(L. 1975 S.B. 108 § 12, A.L. 1981 S.B. 16, A.L. 1995 S.B. 452, A.L. 1999 H.B. 343, A.L. 2007 H.B. 780 merged with S.B. 308)

*Section 335.259 was repealed by S.B. 52, 1993

(2000) Allegation of violation of drug laws requires State Board of Nursing to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that a nurse knowingly and intentionally possessed controlled substances. State Board of Nursing v. Berry, 32 S.W.3d 638 (Mo.App.W.D.).

(2001) Statements made in incident report by hospital to State Board of Nursing about nurse were not, in absence of actual proceedings pending against that nurse, entitled to absolute immunity from nurse's libel claim. Haynes-Wilkinson v. Barnes-Jewish Hospital, 131 F.Supp.2d 1140 (E.D.Mo.).