Sec. 63.1814. NOTICE REQUIREMENTS; ORDERS AND HEARINGS. (a) The commissioner shall assess an administrative penalty and pursue restoration in accordance with this section.
(b) Before the commissioner may order restoration under Section 63.1813 or assess an administrative penalty under Section 63.1811, the commissioner must give written notice to a person who is taking or has taken actions that violate Section 63.091 or any rule, permit, or order issued under this chapter. The notice must state:
(1) the specific conduct that violates Section 63.091 or any rule, permit, or order issued under this chapter;
(2) that the person who is engaged in or has been engaged in the conduct that violates Section 63.091 or any rule, permit, or order issued under this chapter must perform restoration for the damage caused by the violation not later than the 60th day after the date on which the notice is served;
(3) that failure to perform restoration for the damage caused by the violation in accordance with the commissioner's order may result in liability for a civil penalty under Section 63.181(b) in an amount specified, restoration contracted or undertaken by the commissioner and liability for the costs of restoration, or any combination of those remedies; and
(4) that the person who is engaging in or has engaged in conduct that violates Section 63.091 or any rule, permit, or order issued under this chapter may submit, not later than the 60th day after the date on which the notice is served, a written request for a hearing.
(c) A person is considered to be engaging in or to have engaged in conduct that violates Section 63.091 or any rule, permit, or order issued under this chapter for purposes of this section if the person is the person who most recently owned, maintained, controlled, or possessed the real property on which the conduct occurred.
(d) The notice required by Subsection (b) must be given:
(1) by service in person, by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, or by priority mail; or
(2) if personal service cannot be obtained or the address of the person responsible is unknown, by posting a copy of the written notice at the site where the conduct was engaged in and by publishing notice in a newspaper with general circulation in the county in which the site is located at least two times within 10 consecutive days.
(e) The commissioner by rule may adopt procedures for a hearing under this section.
(f) The commissioner must grant a hearing before an administrative law judge employed by the State Office of Administrative Hearings if a hearing is requested. A person who does not request a hearing within 60 days after the date on which the notice is served waives all rights to judicial review of the commissioner's findings or orders and shall immediately initiate mitigation and pay any penalty assessed. If a hearing is held, the commissioner may issue a final order approving the proposal for decision submitted by the administrative law judge concerning mitigation and payment of a penalty. The commissioner may change a finding of fact or conclusion of law made by the administrative law judge, or may vacate or modify an order issued by the administrative law judge in accordance with Section 2001.058, Government Code.
(g) A person may seek judicial review of a final order of the commissioner under this section in a Travis County district court under the substantial evidence rule as provided by Subchapter G, Chapter 2001, Government Code. The trial courts of this state shall give preference to an appeal of a final order of the commissioner under this section in the same manner as provided by Section 23.101(a), Government Code, for an appeal of a final order of the commissioner under Section 51.3021 of this code.
(h) If the person who is engaged in or has been engaged in conduct that violated Section 63.091 or any rule, permit, or order issued under this chapter does not pay assessed penalties, mitigation costs, and other assessed fees and expenses on or before the 60th day after the date of entry of a final order assessing the penalties, costs, and expenses, the commissioner may:
(1) request that the attorney general institute civil proceedings to collect the penalties, costs of restoration, and other fees and expenses remaining unpaid; or
(2) use any combination of the remedies prescribed by this section, or other remedies authorized by law, to collect the unpaid penalties, costs of restoration, and other fees and expenses assessed because of unauthorized conduct and its mitigation by the commissioner.
(i) Penalties or costs collected under this section shall be deposited in the coastal erosion response account established under Section 33.604.
Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1256 (H.B. 2819), Sec. 20, eff. September 1, 2007.