Application Review, Approval, And Denial

(1) Review of all applications to determine whether or not the application file is complete may be delegated to the Committee’s administrator. (2) A temporary authorization to practice, as described in T.C.A. § 63-1-142 may be issued to an applicant pursuant to an initial determination made by a Committee and Board designee, both of whom must have reviewed the completed application and determined that the applicant has met all the requirements for certification, renewal or reinstatement. Licensure decisions must be approved by the Board and the Committee to be effective. The temporary authorization to practice is valid for a period of six (6) months from the date of issuance of the temporary authorization to practice and may not be extended or renewed. (3) If an application is incomplete when received by the Administrative Office, or if the Board’s consultant, or the reviewing Committee or Board member, or the Committee or Board’s designee determine additional information is required from an applicant before an initial determination can be made, the Board administrator shall notify the applicant of the information required. The applicant shall cause the requested information to be received in the Administrative Office on or before the ninetieth (90th) day after the initial letter notifying the applicant of the required information is sent. GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS GOVERNING CHAPTER 0880-12 THE PRACTICE OF ACUPUNCTURISTS (4) If requested information is not timely received, the application file may be considered abandoned and may be closed by the administrator. If that occurs, the applicant shall be notified that the Committee and Board will not consider issuance of a certificate until a new application is received pursuant to the rules governing that process, including another payment of all fees applicable to the applicant’s circumstances and submission of such new supporting documents as is required by the Committee and Board. (5) If a reviewing Committee or Board member, or Committee or Board designee initially determines that a completed application should be denied, limited, conditioned or restricted, a temporary authorization shall not be issued. The applicant shall be informed of the initial decision and that a final determination on the application will be made by the Committee and the Board at their next appropriate meeting. If the Committee and Board ratify the initial denial, limitation, condition or restriction, the action shall become final and the following shall occur: (a) A notification of the denial, limitation, condition or restriction shall be sent by the Administrative Office by certified mail, return receipt requested, that contains the specific reasons for denial, limitation, condition or restriction, such as incomplete information, unofficial records, examination failure, or matters judged insufficient for certification, and such notification shall contain all the specific statutory or rule authorities for the denial, limitation, condition or restriction. (b) The notification, when appropriate, shall also contain a statement of the applicant’s right to request a contested case hearing under the Tennessee Administrative Procedures Act (T.C.A. §§ 4-5-301, et seq.) to contest the denial, limitation, condition or restriction and the procedure necessary to accomplish that action. 1. An applicant has a right to a contested case hearing only if the certification denial, limitation, condition or restriction is based on subjective or discretionary criteria. 2. An applicant may be granted a contested case hearing if the certification denial, limitation, condition or restriction is based on an objective, clearly defined criteria only if after review and attempted resolution by the Committee or Board’s Administrative Staff, the application cannot be approved and the reasons for continued denial, limitation, condition or restriction present genuine issues of fact and/or law which are appropriate for appeal. Requests for a hearing must be made in writing to the Administrative Office within thirty (30) days of the receipt of the notice of denial, limitation, condition or restriction from the Board or Committee. Any such contested case hearing shall occur before the Board or Committee, depending on who made the contested licensure decision. (6) If the Committee and/or Board finds it has erred in the issuance of a certification, it will give written notice by certified mail of its intent to revoke or cancel the certificate. The notice will allow the applicant the opportunity to meet the requirements for certification within thirty (30) days from the date of receipt of the notification. If the applicant does not concur with the stated reason and the intent to revoke or cancel the certification, the applicant shall have the right to proceed according to paragraph (5) of this rule.