Section 43-40-27. Investigation of complaints; subpoenas; confidentiality; publication of licensee name upon revocation or suspension; closed meetings

   (a) The commission may, upon its own motion, and shall, upon the sworn written request of any person, investigate the actions of any applicant for licensure, licensee, or real estate courses and instructors approved by the commission. Except for investigations of applicants for licensure, investigations of allegations of fraudulent conduct or of mishandling of funds held in a fiduciary capacity, or investigations of possible violations of this chapter which have been litigated in the courts or arise from litigation in the courts, the commission shall not initiate an investigation on its own motion or investigate a licensee's activity as the result of a sworn written request for investigation unless the act or acts which may constitute a violation of this chapter occurred within three years of the initiation of the investigation.

(b) Any person authorized to conduct an investigation on behalf of the commission shall have access to and may examine any writings, documents, or other material which may be related to an investigation made upon the order of the commission.

(c) In the conduct of an authorized investigation, the commissioner or chairperson of the commission may issue subpoenas to compel production of such writings, documents, or material on behalf of the commission. After the service of a notice of hearing, the commissioner or chairperson of the commission may issue subpoenas to compel production of such writings, documents, or material, either on behalf of the commission or at the request of a respondent. The commission or the respondent may apply to the superior court of the county in which a person disobeying a subpoena resides for an order requiring compliance. Failure to comply with such an order shall be punishable as for contempt of court.

(d) The results of all investigations shall be reported only to the commission or to the commissioner, and the records of such investigations shall not be subject to subpoena in civil actions. Records of investigations shall be kept by the commission and no part of any investigative record shall be released for any purpose other than a hearing before the commission or its designated hearing officer, review by another law enforcement agency or lawful licensing authority upon issuance of a subpoena from such agency or authority or at the discretion of the commission upon an affirmative vote of a majority of the quorum of the commission, review by the licensee or applicant who is the subject of the notice of hearing after its service, review by the commission's legal counsel, or an appeal of a decision by the commission to a court of competent jurisdiction; provided, however, if an investigation authorized by this chapter results in the commission's filing a notice of hearing or entering into settlement discussions with a member of the commission, the commission shall immediately notify the Governor or the Governor's legal counsel of such action by the commission. After service of a notice of hearing, a licensee or applicant who is the subject of the notice of hearing shall have a right to obtain a copy of the investigative record pertaining to the hearing. Nothing in this subsection shall prevent the commission, in its sole discretion, from notifying persons who request investigations or the licensee or applicant who is the subject of the notice of hearing of the receipt of a request for investigation or the commission's disposition of the investigation nor from making available to the public any document that becomes a public record during the hearing process authorized by Chapter 13 of Title 50, the "Georgia Administrative Procedure Act."

(e) Whenever the commission revokes or suspends a license, a school approval, or an instructor approval or whenever a licensee, an approved school, or an approved instructor surrenders a license or an approval to the commission in a contested case as defined in Chapter 13 of Title 50, the "Georgia Administrative Procedure Act," the commission may publish the name of such licensee, approved school, or approved instructor on its official website or in any other official publication of the agency.

(f) The commission shall have the authority to exclude all persons during the commission's or the staff of the commission's:

   (1) Deliberations on disciplinary proceedings;

   (2) Meetings with a licensee or an applicant or the legal counsel of that licensee or applicant in which the licensee or applicant seeks to settle a contested case as provided in Chapter 13 of Title 50, the "Georgia Administrative Procedure Act"; and

   (3) Review of the results of investigations initiated under this Code section.

Ga. L. 1925, p. 325, § 11; Ga. L. 1929, p. 316, § 32; Code 1933, § 84-1417; Ga. L. 1949, p. 943, § 4; Code 1933, § 84-1421, enacted by Ga. L. 1973, p. 100, § 1; Ga. L. 1979, p. 1203, § 3; Ga. L. 1981, p. 1311, § 6; Ga. L. 1983, p. 1411, § 6; Ga. L. 1985, p. 360, § 17; Ga. L. 1988, p. 1395, §§ 2, 3; Ga. L. 2003, p. 370, § 17; Ga. L. 2006, p. 792, § 9/SB 547.