Violations; license suspension; public hearing; appeal

Sec. 3. For violation of any provision of this chapter, the license of the offending company or insurance producer to transact the business of insurance within the state of Indiana shall be suspended for a period of three (3) years. Whenever information of any such violation shall come to the knowledge of the commissioner of insurance, the commissioner shall issue an order fixing a day certain, not more than thirty (30) nor less than twenty (20) days from the making thereof, upon which the offender shall appear and show cause why such penalty should not be enforced, such order specifying with reasonable certainty the violation charged, and if, after hearing, the commissioner shall determine that the company or insurance producer is guilty of such violation, the commissioner shall forthwith suspend the license of the offender for a period of three (3) years. Such hearing shall be public, and at any such hearing any person or corporation having lodged information of such violation with the commissioner shall be entitled to be present and submit evidence. Within thirty (30) days after the suspension of any such license, the insurance producer or company whose license has been suspended may appeal from the ruling of the commissioner of insurance to the circuit or superior court of the county in which the insurance producer resides or in which such company has its principal place of business, and if such company be a foreign insurance company then such appeal may be taken by such company to the circuit or superior court of Marion County.