The licensing boards of Texas govern the standards, rules, and practices of the professions they have been entrusted by the legislature with overseeing. As such, every licensed practitioner who falls under their power is subject to their decision-making, first by jumping through the boards’ hoops in order to become licensed in the first place, then in maintaining their ability to continue practicing. When a formal complaint is filed with a licensing board against a professional’s license, the licensing boards are enabled to apply disciplinary measures. The type of discipline tends to vary slightly based on the standards of a given profession. But they all have some commonalities, depending on how serious a given board considers the allegations.
In a broad sense, the actions that a licensing board tends to take are:
- Reprimand
- Suspension of License
- Revocation of License
The reprimands a licensing board may dole out depend mainly on the type of profession and vary in type even within a given board’s decision-making process. This is because each case is different. A board needs the flexibility to tailor its reprimand-actions to the alleged violations and the actions the licensee in question has taken. Some cases will require a course of continuing education, some will require monetary fines, some a written warning, and so on—again, depending on the facts of the case, reprimands may be tailored to fit.
A suspension of license falls short of revocation, but it does mean a professional will be unable to practice for a proscribed period of time. In some cases, the licensee must seek reinstatement of their license, which means taking active steps to ensure their ability to practice again.
A revocation, on the other hand, means the license is gone—perhaps forever, though there are exceptions. Certainly, no set point in time is set at which the licensee may seek reinstatement.
None of these possibilities is something a professional wants. Each, in its respective severity, is a black mark on a licensee’s career. So any notification of complaint that you receive from a licensing board should spur you into immediate action. From the get-go of the complaint process—and whether or not you believe there is a basis for the complaint—it is up to you to take every possible action to get the complaint dismissed. And your very first step should be to call an experienced professional license defense attorney, like us here at BERTOLINO LLP, as soon as you are able. Failing to do so may well mean the loss of your license.
Professional License Defense
BERTOLINO LLP provides aggressive advocacy for establishments and professionals who are facing disciplinary action before a licensing body—for any reason. We know how to build a strong case to protect your license—and your livelihood. We highly recommend that no professional attempt to handle a complaint made against their license without the aid of a professional license defense attorney.
Our law firm helps professionals like you keep their licenses when those licenses are under attack by a state agency or board.
With offices in Austin, Houston, and San Antonio, we serve clients all over the state. As experienced attorneys, well-versed in state and federal laws, we know how to win. Our results speak for themselves!
If you are facing disciplinary action, contact us today or call (512) 476-5757 and schedule a case evaluation.
Call or text (512) 476-5757 or complete a Case Evaluation form
