Section 43-9-12. Refusal, suspension, or revocation of licenses; subpoenas; other discipline; judicial review; reinstatement; voluntary surrender of license; injunctions; statement of complaint

   (a) The board shall have the authority to refuse to grant a license to an applicant therefor or to revoke the license of a person licensed by that board or to discipline a person licensed by that board, upon a finding by a majority of the entire board that the licensee or applicant has:

   (1) Failed to demonstrate the qualifications or standards for a license contained in this chapter or the rules or regulations promulgated under this chapter; it shall be incumbent upon the applicant to demonstrate to the satisfaction of the board that he meets all the requirements for the issuance of a license, and, if the board is not satisfied as to the applicant's qualifications, it may deny a license without a prior hearing; provided, however, that the applicant shall be allowed to appear before the board if he so desires;

   (2) Knowingly made misleading, deceptive, untrue, or fraudulent representations in the practice of chiropractic or on any document connected therewith; or practiced fraud or deceit or intentionally made any false statement in obtaining a license to practice the licensed business or profession; or made a false statement or deceptive registration with the board;

   (3) Been convicted of any felony or of any crime involving moral turpitude in the courts of this state or any other state, territory, or country or in the courts of the United States; as used in this paragraph and paragraph (4) of this subsection, the term "felony" shall include any offense which, if committed in this state, would be deemed a felony, without regard to its designation elsewhere; and, as used in this paragraph, the term "conviction" shall include a finding or verdict of guilty or a plea of guilty, regardless of whether an appeal of the conviction has been sought;

   (4) Been arrested, charged, and sentenced for the commission of any felony, or any crime involving moral turpitude, where:

      (A) A plea of nolo contendere was entered to the charge;

      (B) First offender treatment without adjudication of guilt pursuant to the charge was granted; or

      (C) An adjudication or sentence was otherwise withheld or not entered on the charge.

The plea of nolo contendere or the order entered pursuant to the provisions of Article 3 of Chapter 8 of Title 42, relating to probation of first offenders, or other first offender treatment shall be conclusive evidence of arrest and sentencing for such crime;

   (5) Had his license to practice chiropractic revoked, suspended, or annulled by any lawful licensing authority other than the board; or had other disciplinary action taken against him by any such lawful licensing authority other than the board; or was denied a license by any such lawful licensing authority other than the board, pursuant to disciplinary proceedings, or was refused the renewal of a license by any such lawful licensing authority other than the board, pursuant to disciplinary proceedings;

   (6) Engaged in any unprofessional, immoral, unethical, deceptive, or deleterious conduct or practice harmful to the public, which conduct or practice materially affects the fitness of the licensee or applicant to practice chiropractic, or of a nature likely to jeopardize the interest of the public, which conduct or practice need not have resulted in actual injury to any person or be directly related to the practice of chiropractic but shows that the licensee or applicant has committed any act or omission which is indicative of bad moral character or untrustworthiness; unprofessional conduct shall also include any departure from, or the failure to conform to, the minimal standards of acceptable and prevailing practice of chiropractic;

   (7) Knowingly performed any act which in any way aids, assists, procures, advises, or encourages any unlicensed person or any licensee whose license has been suspended or revoked by the board to practice chiropractic or to practice outside the scope of any disciplinary limitation placed upon the licensee by the board;

   (8) Violated a statute, law, or any rule or regulation of this state, any other state, the board, the United States, or any other lawful authority without regard to whether the violation is criminally punishable, which statute, law, or rule or regulation relates to or in part regulates the practice of chiropractic when the licensee or applicant knows or should know that such action is violative of such statute, law, or rule; or violated a lawful order of the board previously entered by the board in a disciplinary hearing, consent decree, or license reinstatement;

   (9) Been adjudged mentally incompetent by a court of competent jurisdiction inside or outside this state; any such adjudication shall automatically suspend the license of any such person and shall prevent the reissuance or renewal of any license so suspended for as long as the adjudication of incompetence is in effect;

   (10) Displayed an inability to practice chiropractic with reasonable skill and safety to the public or has become unable to practice chiropractic with reasonable skill and safety to the public by reason of illness, use of alcohol, drugs, narcotics, chemicals, or any other type of material; or

   (11) (A) Become unable to practice chiropractic with reasonable skill and safety to patients by reason of illness or use of alcohol, drugs, narcotics, chemicals, or any other type of material, or as a result of any mental or physical condition.

      (B) In enforcing this paragraph, the board may, upon reasonable grounds, require a licensee or applicant to submit to a mental or physical examination by licensed health care providers designated by the board. The results of such examination shall be admissible in any hearing before the board, notwithstanding any claim of privilege under a contrary rule of law or statute, including, but not limited to, Code Section 24-5-501. Every person who shall accept the privilege of practicing chiropractic in this state or who shall file an application for a license to practice chiropractic in this state shall be deemed to have given his or her consent to submit to such mental or physical examination and to have waived all objections to the admissibility of the results in any hearing before the board, upon the grounds that the same constitutes a privileged communication. If a licensee or applicant fails to submit to such an examination when properly directed to do so by the board, unless such failure was due to circumstances beyond his or her control, the board may enter a final order upon proper notice, hearing, and proof of such refusal. Any licensee or applicant who is prohibited from practicing chiropractic under this paragraph shall at reasonable intervals be afforded an opportunity to demonstrate to the board that he or she can resume or begin the practice of chiropractic with reasonable skill and safety to patients.

      (C) For the purposes of this paragraph, the board may, upon reasonable grounds, obtain any and all records relating to the mental or physical condition of a licensee or applicant, including psychiatric records; and such records shall be admissible in any hearing before the board, notwithstanding any privilege under a contrary rule of law or statute, including, but not limited to, Code Section 24-5-501. Every person who shall accept the privilege of practicing chiropractic in this state or who shall file an application to practice chiropractic in this state shall be deemed to have given his or her consent to the board's obtaining any such records and to have waived all objections to the admissibility of such records in any hearing before the board, upon the grounds that the same constitutes a privileged communication.

      (D) If any licensee or applicant could, in the absence of this paragraph, invoke a privilege to prevent the disclosure of the results of the examination provided for in subparagraph (B) of this paragraph or the records relating to the mental or physical condition of such licensee or applicant obtained pursuant to subparagraph (C) of this paragraph, all such information shall be received by the board in camera and shall not be disclosed to the public, nor shall any part of the record containing such information be used against any licensee or applicant in any other type of proceeding.

(b) The provisions of Chapter 13 of Title 50, the "Georgia Administrative Procedure Act," with respect to emergency action and summary suspension of a license are adopted and incorporated by reference into this Code section.

(c) For purposes of this Code section, the board may obtain, through subpoena by the division director, upon reasonable grounds, any and all records relating to the mental or physical condition of a licensee or applicant, and such records shall be admissible in any hearing before the board.

(d) When the board finds that any person is unqualified to be granted a license or finds that any person should be disciplined pursuant to subsection (a) of this Code section or pursuant to any other provision of this chapter, the board may take any one or more of the following actions:

   (1) Refuse to grant or renew a license to an applicant;

   (2) Administer a public or private reprimand, but a private reprimand shall not be disclosed to any person except the licensee;

   (3) Suspend any license for a definite period or for an indefinite period in connection with any condition which may be attached to the restoration of said license;

   (4) Limit or restrict any license as the board deems necessary for the protection of the public;

   (5) Revoke any license;

   (6) Condition the penalty upon, or withhold formal disposition pending, the applicant's or licensee's submission to such care, counseling, or treatment as the board may direct; or

   (7) Impose a fine not to exceed $500.00 for each violation of a law, rule, or regulation relating to the practice of chiropractic.

(e) In addition to and in conjunction with the actions described in subsection (d) of this Code section, the board may make a finding adverse to the licensee or applicant but withhold imposition of judgment and penalty; or it may impose the judgment and penalty but suspend enforcement thereof and place the licensee on probation, which probation may be vacated upon noncompliance with such reasonable terms as the board may impose.

(f) Initial judicial review of a final decision of the board shall be had solely in the superior court of the county of domicile of the board.

(g) In its discretion, the board may reinstate a license which has been revoked or issue a license which has been denied or refused, following such procedures as the board may prescribe by rule; and, as a condition thereof, it may impose any disciplinary or corrective method provided in this Code section or the laws relating to chiropractic.

(h) Neither the issuance of a private reprimand nor the denial of a license by reciprocity nor the denial of a request for reinstatement of a revoked license nor the refusal to issue a previously denied license shall be considered to be a contested case within the meaning of Chapter 13 of Title 50, the "Georgia Administrative Procedure Act"; notice and hearing within the meaning of said chapter shall not be required, but the applicant or licensee shall be allowed to appear before the board if he so requests.

(i) The voluntary surrender of a license or the failure to renew a license by the end of an established penalty period shall have the same effect as a revocation of said license, subject to reinstatement in the discretion of the board. The board may restore and reissue a license to practice chiropractic and, as a condition thereof, may impose any disciplinary sanction provided by this chapter.

(j) The board, the division director, or the appropriate prosecuting attorney may bring an action to enjoin the unlicensed practice of chiropractic by any person. The action to restrain and enjoin such unlicensed practice shall be brought in the superior court of the county where the unlicensed person resides. It shall not be necessary to allege or prove that there is no adequate remedy at law to obtain an injunction under this Code section.

(k) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (2) of subsection (h) of Code Section 43-1-19, if a chiropractor is the subject of a board investigation initiated as the result of a complaint or report to the board, a copy of a summary of the complaint or report shall be furnished to the chiropractor as soon as practicable after the investigation is initiated but in any event prior to or at the same time as the delivery of a subpoena for the production of documents. If a chiropractor is the subject of an investigation initiated by the board on its own initiative, a written statement of the acts or omissions being investigated shall be furnished to the chiropractor as soon as practicable after the investigation is initiated but in any event prior to or at the same time as the delivery of a subpoena for the production of documents. The board may delay providing the chiropractor with a copy of the summary or statement if the board determines that the nature of the investigation requires that its existence not be disclosed to the chiropractor but in no event shall such summary or statement be provided later than the delivery of a subpoena for the production of documents to the chiropractor. Nothing in this Code section shall be construed to limit the authority of the board to pursue violations of the board's laws and rules and regulations discovered during the course of an investigation.

Ga. L. 1921, p. 166, § 9; Code 1933, § 84-512; Ga. L. 1981, p. 690, § 1; Ga. L. 1982, p. 3, § 43; Ga. L. 1984, p. 913, § 8; Ga. L. 1992, p. 6, § 43; Ga. L. 1994, p. 97, § 43; Ga. L. 2000, p. 556, § 1; Ga. L. 2000, p. 1706, § 19; Ga. L. 2005, p. 475, § 2/HB 266; Ga. L. 2011, p. 99, § 66/HB 24.