RS 3:3810.2: Civil penalties and costs

A. Whoever is found by the commission to have violated a provision of this Chapter or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant to this Chapter shall be fined as follows:

(1) The commission may assess a civil penalty of not more than five hundred dollars for each violation of any provision of this Chapter or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant to this Chapter if the person subject to the civil penalty has not been found guilty of a violation of any provision of this Chapter or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant to this Chapter in a prior adjudicatory proceeding held by the commission.

(2) The commission may assess a civil penalty of not more than one thousand dollars for each violation of any provision of this Chapter or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant to this Chapter if the person subject to the civil penalty has been found guilty of a violation of any provision of this Chapter or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant to this Chapter in a prior adjudicatory proceeding held by the commission.

(3) The commission may assess a civil penalty of not more than one thousand five hundred dollars for each violation of any provision of this Chapter or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant to this Chapter if the person subject to the civil penalty has been found guilty of a violation of any provision of this Chapter or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant to this Chapter in two or more prior adjudicatory proceedings held by the commission.

B. In addition to civil penalties, the commission may assess the cost of the adjudicatory proceeding against any person found to be in violation of this Chapter or any rule or regulation adopted pursuant to this Chapter. The commission shall, by rule or regulation, determine the amount of the cost of an adjudicatory proceeding, which may include the cost of any investigation leading up to or made during the course of an adjudicatory proceeding.