Tennessee Code 56-31-121 – Suspension or cancellation of license – Withdrawal of approval of documents – Revocation and amendment of certificate, order, authority or consent
(a) The commissioner has the authority to suspend or cancel the license of any vision service plan corporation or any agent of the corporation for violation of this chapter or violation of the insurance laws that may apply and that are not in conflict with this chapter, after proper legal notice and a hearing, which action of the commissioner shall be subject to judicial review. The commissioner has the authority, after the issuance of a certificate of authority, to withdraw approval, previously granted, of any document required to be filed with the department under any section of this chapter. In addition, the commissioner has the authority to require a vision service plan corporation to solicit in a manner required by agents’ licensing laws, and to fulfill contracts approved by the commissioner, to utilize soliciting methods provided by this chapter, or by other insurance laws, to operate in a county or counties or area different from those to which the certificate of authority was granted, and to comply with all other orders and regulations of the commissioner.
Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
Vision service: means the usual and general professional services rendered by persons duly licensed under the laws of this state to practice optometry. See Tennessee Code 56-31-102
(b) The commissioner has the power and authority to revoke and amend, after reasonable notice and hearing, any certificate, order, authority or consent made by the commissioner to a vision service plan corporation, and may also cancel or suspend the authority of the corporation to transact business in any particular county or counties or area if the commissioner finds that less than fifty-one percent (51%) of the eligible licensed optometrists practicing in that county are participating optometrists and that less than twenty-five percent (25%) of the optometrists duly licensed to practice in this state have agreed to render vision services for corporations organized or to be organized pursuant to this chapter.
