(a) The commissioner may, after notice and a hearing, levy a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000) against a county mutual insurance company or an entity required to be licensed as a county mutual insurance company, upon a finding that the county mutual insurance company, the entity required to be licensed as a county mutual insurance company, an officer or director of the county mutual insurance company, or the entity required to be licensed as a county mutual insurance company:
County mutual insurance company: means a person that is authorized to provide insurance coverage pursuant to this chapter. See Tennessee Code 56-22-103
insurance company: means any corporation, association, partnership or individual engaged as a principal in the business of insurance not licensed pursuant to this chapter. See Tennessee Code 56-22-103
(1) Has violated this chapter or any rule promulgated under this chapter;(2) Has violated any order issued by the commissioner, including, but not limited to, those orders issued under §§ 56-22-111, 56-22-115 and 56-22-116;(3) Is in a hazardous operating condition;(4) Has made a filing with the commissioner containing fraudulent or materially false or misleading statements of fact;(5) Has failed or refused to pay for the costs of any examination of the county mutual insurance company undertaken under this chapter;(6) Has been convicted of a felony; or(7) Has committed any unfair act or practice as set forth in § 56-8-103 or § 56-8-104.(b) All hearings conducted pursuant to this section shall be conducted pursuant to the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5.(c) Each day of continued violation shall constitute a separate violation for purposes of determining the possible amount of penalty under this section.