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<section article="gpu" article_name="Public Utilities" number="7-603.1" title_number="7" title_name="Gas, Electric, and Water Companies" subtitle_number="6" subtitle_name="Natural Gas Supplier Licensing and Consumer Protection">
  <level label="a">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Subject to subsection (b)(5) of this section, for just cause on the Commission’s own investigation or on complaint of the Office of People’s Counsel, the Attorney General, or an affected party, the Commission may:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>deny a license to, or revoke, suspend, or refuse to renew the license of, a gas supplier, an energy salesperson, or an energy vendor;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>impose a civil penalty or other remedy;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>order a refund or credit to a customer; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>impose a moratorium on adding or soliciting additional customers by the gas supplier, energy salesperson, or an energy vendor.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>A civil penalty may be imposed in addition to the Commission’s decision to deny, revoke, suspend, or refuse to renew a license or impose a moratorium.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Just cause includes:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>intentionally providing false information to the Commission;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>switching, or causing to be switched, the gas supply for a customer without first obtaining the customer’s permission;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>failing to provide gas for its customers;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>committing fraud or engaging in deceptive practices;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>failing to maintain financial integrity;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vi">
        <text>violating a Commission regulation or order;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vii">
        <text>failing to pay, collect, remit, or calculate accurately applicable State or local taxes;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="viii">
        <text>violating a provision of this article or any other applicable consumer protection law of the State;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ix">
        <text>conviction of a felony by the licensee or principal of the licensee or any crime involving fraud, theft, or deceit;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="x">
        <text>denial, suspension, or revocation of or refusal to renew a license by any State or federal authority; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="xi">
        <text>commission of any of the acts described in items (i) through (x) of this paragraph by a person that is an affiliate of the licensee or that is under common control with the licensee.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <level label="i">
        <text>A gas supplier, an energy vendor, or any other person, except for an energy salesperson, selling or offering to sell gas in the State in violation of this section or § 7–603 of this subtitle, after notice and an opportunity for a hearing, is subject to:</text>
        <level label="1">
          <text>a civil penalty of not more than $25,000 for the violation;</text>
        </level>
        <level label="2">
          <text>license denial, revocation, or suspension or refusal to renew the license; or</text>
        </level>
        <level label="3">
          <text>both.</text>
        </level>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>An energy salesperson selling or offering to sell gas in the State in violation of this section or § 7–603 of this subtitle, after notice and an opportunity for a hearing, is subject to license denial, revocation, or suspension or refusal to renew the license.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Each day or part of a day a violation continues is a separate violation.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>Each customer to whom gas is sold or offered in violation of this section is a separate violation.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>The Commission shall determine the amount of any civil penalty after considering:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>the number of previous violations of any provision of this division by the gas supplier, energy vendor, or other person;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the gravity of the current violation;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>the good faith of the gas supplier, energy vendor, or other person charged in attempting to achieve compliance after notification of the violation; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>any other matter that the Commission considers appropriate and relevant.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>The Commission may not impose a civil penalty on an individual energy salesperson in accordance with this subsection.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>In connection with a consumer complaint or Commission investigation under this section or § 7–603 of this subtitle, a gas supplier, an energy salesperson, an energy vendor, and any other person selling or offering to sell gas in the State shall provide to the Commission access to any accounts, books, papers, and documents that the Commission considers necessary to resolve the matter at issue.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>The Commission may order the gas supplier, energy salesperson, an energy vendor, or other person to cease adding or soliciting additional customers or to cease serving customers in the State.</text>
  </level>
</section>
