§ 13 — Licenses; revocation, etc.; hearings; exceptions; educational loan defaulters

Section 13. "License'', as used in this section, includes any license, permit, certificate, registration, charter, authority or similar form of permission required by law.Except as otherwise provided in this section, no agency shall revoke or refuse to renew any license unless it has first afforded the licensee an opportunity for hearing in conformity with sections ten, eleven and twelve. If a licensee has, in accordance with any law and with agency regulations, made timely and sufficient application for a renewal, his license shall not expire until his application has been finally determined by the agency. Any agency that has authority to suspend a license without first holding a hearing shall promptly upon exercising such authority afford the licensee an opportunity for hearing in conformity with sections ten, eleven and twelve.This section shall not apply--(1) Where a provision of the General Laws expressly provides that an agency is not required to grant a hearing in regard to revocation, suspension or refusal to renew a license, as the case may be; or(2) Where the agency is required by any law to revoke, suspend or refuse to renew a license, as the case may be, without exercising any discretion in the matter, on the basis of a court conviction or judgment; or(3) Where the revocation, suspension or refusal to renew is based solely upon failure of the licensee to file timely reports, schedules, or applications, or to pay lawfully prescribed fees, or to maintain insurance coverage as required by any law or by regulation; or(4) Where there is a refusal to renew the license of a foreign insurance company by the commissioner of insurance, under authority of section one hundred and fifty-one of chapter one hundred and seventy-five or where there is a revocation of the license of a foreign insurance company by said commissioner under authority of section five of chapter one hundred and seventy-five, if such refusal or revocation is upon the grounds that such company is insolvent or is in an unsound financial condition, or that its condition or management is such as to render its further transaction of business hazardous to the public or its policyholders, or that the amount of its funds, net cash or contingent assets is deficient or that its capital stock or deposit or guaranty capital or guaranty fund is impaired, as set forth in section twenty-three A of said chapter one hundred and seventy-five, or that such capital stock, deposit or guaranty capital or guaranty fund has been reduced below the amount required by section one hundred and fifty-one of said chapter one hundred and seventy-five.[ Fourth paragraph effective until January 8, 2025. For text effective January 8, 2025, see below.]Any board of registration operating under the provisions of chapter one hundred and twelve, upon receiving a written list of names of educational loan defaulters from the Massachusetts Education Financing Authority established pursuant to section four of chapter fifteen C or the Massachusetts Higher Education Assistance Corporation created under chapter two hundred and ninety-eight of the acts of nineteen hundred and fifty-six, shall deny issuance of a professional or occupational certificate, registration, license, or authority to any applicant who is in such default on an educational loan made under any of the programs administered by said authority or corporation, hereinafter referred to in this paragraph as the loan agency. Any such applicant so denied a certificate, registration, license or authority due to such applicant's default on an educational loan shall be informed by the applicable board of registration of the availability of the following review procedure provided by this paragraph. Within thirty days of the receipt of such denial, the applicant may request the loan agency which notified the board of registration of the default to conduct a review of the applicant's alleged loan default. Upon receipt of a request for review, the loan agency shall notify the board of registration that the applicant has requested a review, whereupon the board of registration shall provisionally grant the certificate, registration, license or authority until the board of registration is notified by said loan agency of the disposition of the review. Such review shall include a determination that said loan agency has complied with all federal requirements applicable to student loan defaulters, and any further requirements specified by the secretary of consumer affairs and business regulation. If the educational loan agency which conducts the review determines that the notice of default was in error, or enters into an arrangement for repayment or enters into any other arrangement with the applicant, the loan agency shall promptly notify the applicable board of registration and such board shall issue the certificate, registration, license or authority to the applicant, provided the applicant meets all other requirements therefor. If the loan agency determines that the notice of default was warranted, the loan agency shall notify the applicable board of registration, to revoke said provisional certificate, registration, license or authority previously issued. The director of consumer affairs and business regulation is hereby authorized to promulgate regulations pursuant to sections one to eight, inclusive, to enforce the provisions of this paragraph.[ Fourth paragraph as amended by 2024, 353, Sec. 1 effective January 8, 2025. For text effective until January 8, 2025, see above.]A board of registration operating pursuant to chapter 112 or agency shall not deny issuance of, revoke or refuse to renew a professional or occupational certificate, registration, license or authority of an individual based on the individual's default on an educational loan. This paragraph shall not apply to the division of banks.