Immediately upon the denial of any application for issuance or renewal of a license, the state department shall notify the applicant in writing. Not later than 10 days after the state department mails the notice, the applicant may submit a written petition for a hearing to the state department. Upon receipt by the state department of the petition in proper form, such petition shall be set for hearing. The hearing shall be held within 60 calendar days of receipt of the petition. The proceedings shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, and the state department has all the powers granted therein.

(Added by Stats. 1977, Ch. 1066.)