(a) Summons authority
The Director may—
(1) examine any books, papers, records, or other data of any loan originator operating in any State which is subject to a licensing system established by the Director under section
5107 of this title; and
(2) summon any loan originator referred to in paragraph (1) or any person having possession, custody, or care of the reports and records relating to such loan originator, to appear before the Director or any delegate of the Director at a time and place named in the summons and to produce such books, papers, records, or other data, and to give testimony, under oath, as may be relevant or material to an investigation of such loan originator for compliance with the requirements of this chapter.
(b) Examination authority
If the Director establishes a licensing system under section
5107 of this title for any State, the Director shall appoint examiners for the purposes of administering such section.
Any examiner appointed under paragraph (1) shall have power, on behalf of the Director, to make any examination of any loan originator operating in any State which is subject to a licensing system established by the Director under section
5107 of this title whenever the Director determines an examination of any loan originator is necessary to determine the compliance by the originator with this chapter.
Each examiner appointed under paragraph (1) shall make a full and detailed report of examination of any loan originator examined to the Director.
In connection with examinations of loan originators operating in any State which is subject to a licensing system established by the Director under section
5107 of this title, or with other types of investigations to determine compliance with applicable law and regulations, the Director and examiners appointed by the Director may administer oaths and affirmations and examine and take and preserve testimony under oath as to any matter in respect to the affairs of any such loan originator.
The cost of conducting any examination of any loan originator operating in any State which is subject to a licensing system established by the Director under section
5107 of this title shall be assessed by the Director against the loan originator to meet the Secretary's 1 expenses in carrying out such examination.
(c) Cease and desist proceeding
If the Director finds, after notice and opportunity for hearing, that any person is violating, has violated, or is about to violate any provision of this chapter, or any regulation thereunder, with respect to a State which is subject to a licensing system established by the Director under section
5107 of this title, the Director may publish such findings and enter an order requiring such person, and any other person that is, was, or would be a cause of the violation, due to an act or omission the person knew or should have known would contribute to such violation, to cease and desist from committing or causing such violation and any future violation of the same provision, rule, or regulation. Such order may, in addition to requiring a person to cease and desist from committing or causing a violation, require such person to comply, or to take steps to effect compliance, with such provision or regulation, upon such terms and conditions and within such time as the Director may specify in such order. Any such order may, as the Director deems appropriate, require future compliance or steps to effect future compliance, either permanently or for such period of time as the Director may specify, with such provision or regulation with respect to any loan originator.
The notice instituting proceedings pursuant to paragraph (1) shall fix a hearing date not earlier than 30 days nor later than 60 days after service of the notice unless an earlier or a later date is set by the Director with the consent of any respondent so served.
Whenever the Director determines that the alleged violation or threatened violation specified in the notice instituting proceedings pursuant to paragraph (1), or the continuation thereof, is likely to result in significant dissipation or conversion of assets, significant harm to consumers, or substantial harm to the public interest prior to the completion of the proceedings, the Director may enter a temporary order requiring the respondent to cease and desist from the violation or threatened violation and to take such action to prevent the violation or threatened violation and to prevent dissipation or conversion of assets, significant harm to consumers, or substantial harm to the public interest as the Director deems appropriate pending completion of such proceedings. Such an order shall be entered only after notice and opportunity for a hearing, unless the Director determines that notice and hearing prior to entry would be impracticable or contrary to the public interest. A temporary order shall become effective upon service upon the respondent and, unless set aside, limited, or suspended by the Director or a court of competent jurisdiction, shall remain effective and enforceable pending the completion of the proceedings.
At any time after the respondent has been served with a temporary cease and desist order pursuant to paragraph (3), the respondent may apply to the Director to have the order set aside, limited, or suspended. If the respondent has been served with a temporary cease and desist order entered without a prior hearing before the Director, the respondent may, within 10 days after the date on which the order was served, request a hearing on such application and the Director shall hold a hearing and render a decision on such application at the earliest possible time.
Within—
(i) 10 days after the date the respondent was served with a temporary cease and desist order entered with a prior hearing before the Director; or
(ii) 10 days after the Director renders a decision on an application and hearing under paragraph (1), with respect to any temporary cease and desist order entered without a prior hearing before the Director,
the respondent may apply to the United States district court for the district in which the respondent resides or has its principal place of business, or for the District of Columbia, for an order setting aside, limiting, or suspending the effectiveness or enforcement of the order, and the court shall have jurisdiction to enter such an order. A respondent served with a temporary cease and desist order entered without a prior hearing before the Director may not apply to the court except after hearing and decision by the Director on the respondent's application under subparagraph (A).
The commencement of proceedings under subparagraph (B) shall not, unless specifically ordered by the court, operate as a stay of the Secretary's 1 order.
In any cease and desist proceeding under paragraph (1), the Director may issue an order to prohibit, conditionally or unconditionally, and permanently or for such period of time as the Director shall determine, any person who has violated this chapter or regulations thereunder, from acting as a loan originator if the conduct of that person demonstrates unfitness to serve as a loan originator.
(d) Authority of the Director to assess money penalties
The Director may impose a civil penalty on a loan originator operating in any State which is subject to a licensing system established by the Director under section
5107 of this title, if the Director finds, on the record after notice and opportunity for hearing, that such loan originator has violated or failed to comply with any requirement of this chapter or any regulation prescribed by the Director under this chapter or order issued under subsection (c).
The maximum amount of penalty for each act or omission described in paragraph (1) shall be $25,000.