Sec. 20-154. Regulations concerning licenses and permits. Disciplinary action; grounds.

      Sec. 20-154. Regulations concerning licenses and permits. Disciplinary action; grounds. The Commissioner of Public Health, with advice and assistance from said board, may make regulations concerning the licensing of any optician, the granting of any permit to any optical department or the certification of any licensed optician, and the suspension or revocation of any such license or permit, or with reference to the conduct of any such licensee or permittee and the manner in which any such licensed optical department is conducted. Any license to practice as a licensed optician or to conduct any optical department may be suspended or revoked or reissued by said board. The certificate of registration, permit or license of any optician or of any optical permittee may be revoked, suspended or annulled or any action taken under section 19a-17 upon decision after notice and hearing by the board for any of the following reasons: Fraudulent, dishonest, illegal or incompetent or negligent conduct of his business as such licensee or permittee; aiding or abetting any unlicensed person whose license has been suspended or revoked, or any optical permittee whose permit has been suspended or revoked in the conduct of an optician's establishment, office or store; violation of any provision of this chapter or any regulation adopted hereunder; presentation to the department of any diploma, license or certificate, irregularly or fraudulently obtained or from any unrecognized or irregular college or state commission, or obtained by the practice of any fraud or deception; physical or mental illness, emotional disorder or loss of motor skill, including but not limited to, deterioration through the aging process; abuse or excessive use of drugs, including alcohol, narcotics or chemicals. The Commissioner of Public Health may order a license holder to submit to a reasonable physical or mental examination if his physical or mental capacity to practice safely is the subject of an investigation. Said commissioner may petition the superior court for the judicial district of Hartford to enforce such order or any action taken pursuant to section 19a-17. The violation of any of the provisions of this chapter by any unlicensed employee in the employ of any of its licensees or permittees, with the knowledge of his employer, shall be deemed to be a violation thereof by his employer; and continued violation thereof by such an unlicensed employee shall be deemed to be, prima facie, with the knowledge of such employer.

      (1949 Rev., S. 4512; P.A. 77-614, S. 424, 610; P.A. 80-484, S. 63, 176; P.A. 88-230, S. 1, 12; P.A. 90-98, S. 1, 2; P.A. 93-142, S. 4, 7, 8; 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-220, S. 4-6; 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58.)

      History: P.A. 77-614 transferred power to make regulations from commission of opticians to commissioner of health services, retaining commission in advisory role and allowed suspension or revocation of license for violations of chapter or related regulations, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 80-484 deleted references to mechanical opticians and assistant licensed or mechanical opticians, replaced commission with board of examiners or health services department where appearing, added reference to disciplinary measures under Sec. 19-4s and revised grounds for disciplinary action, deleting grounds re crimes of moral turpitude or lack of business ethics and integrity and re fraudulent or misleading statements, deleting redundant ground re violations of chapter or regulations and adding grounds re physical or mental illness, etc. and re drug abuse and added provisions re requirement of physical or mental examinations and re petitions to courts for enforcement of orders or actions; P.A. 88-230 replaced "judicial district of Hartford-New Britain" with "judicial district of Hartford", effective September 1, 1991; P.A. 90-98 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1991, to September 1, 1993; P.A. 93-142 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1993, to September 1, 1996, effective June 14, 1993; P.A. 93-381 replaced commissioner of health services with commissioner of public health and addiction services, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 95-220 changed the effective date of P.A. 88-230 from September 1, 1996, to September 1, 1998, effective July 1, 1995; P.A. 95-257 replaced Commissioner and Department of Public Health and Addiction Services with Commissioner and Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 1995.

      Cited. 15 CA 205.