§33-13C-4. License revocation and denial.

(a) The commissioner may refuse to issue, suspend, revoke, place on probation, or refuse to renew the license of a viatical settlement provider or viatical settlement broker if the commissioner finds that:

(1) There was any material misrepresentation in the application for the license;

(2) The licensee or any officer, partner, member, or key management personnel has been convicted of fraudulent or dishonest practices, is subject to a final administrative action, or is otherwise shown to be untrustworthy or incompetent;

(3) The viatical settlement provider demonstrates a pattern of unreasonable payments to viators;

(4) The licensee or any officer, partner, member, or key management personnel has been found guilty of, or has pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to, any felony, or to a misdemeanor involving fraud, regardless of whether a judgment of conviction has been entered by the court: Provided, That the commissioner shall apply §33-13C-3(b) of this code and any relevant legislative rules in determining whether an applicant’s prior criminal convictions bear a rational nexus to the license being sought;

(5) The viatical settlement provider has entered into any viatical settlement contract that has not been approved pursuant to this article;

(6) The viatical settlement provider has failed to honor contractual obligations set out in a viatical settlement contract;

(7) The licensee no longer meets the requirements for initial licensure;

(8) The viatical settlement provider has assigned, transferred or pledged a viaticated policy to a person other than a viatical settlement provider licensed in this state, viatical settlement purchaser, an accredited investor, or qualified institutional buyer as defined respectively in Rule 501(a) or Rule 144A promulgated under the Federal Securities Act of 1933, as amended, financing entity, special purpose entity, or related provider trust; or

(9) The licensee or any officer, partner, member, or key management personnel has violated any provision of this article.

(b) The commissioner may suspend, revoke, or refuse to renew the license of a viatical settlement broker or a life insurance producer operating as a viatical settlement broker pursuant to this article if the commissioner finds that the viatical settlement broker or life insurance producer has violated the provisions of this article or has otherwise engaged in bad faith conduct with one or more viators.

(c) If the commissioner denies a license application or suspends, revokes, or refuses to renew the license of a viatical settlement provider, viatical settlement broker, or life insurance producer operating as a viatical settlement broker, the commissioner shall conduct a hearing in accordance with §33-2-13 of this code.