37-1-101. Duties of department. In addition to the provisions of 2-15-121, the department of commerce may:
     (1) provide all the administrative, legal, and clerical services needed by the boards within the department, including corresponding, taking applications for licenses, issuing and denying licenses granted by the boards, renewing licenses, disciplining licensees, registering, taking minutes of board meetings and hearings, and filing;
     (2) standardize and keep in Helena all official records of the boards;
     (3) make arrangements and provide facilities in Helena for the meetings, hearings, and examinations of each board or elsewhere in the state if requested by the board;
     (4) administer and grade examinations required by each board or by law for licensing, unless the board determines that experts or professionals are necessary to administer or grade a particular examination;
     (5) investigate complaints received by the department of illegal or unethical conduct of a member of the profession or occupation under the jurisdiction of a board within the department;
     (6) assess the costs of the department to the boards on an equitable basis as determined by the department;
     (7) adopt rules setting expiration, renewal, and termination dates for licenses;
     (8) issue a notice to and pursue an action against a licensed individual, as a party, before the licensed individual's licensing board after a finding of reasonable cause by a screening panel of the board pursuant to 37-1-307(1)(e).

     History: En. 82A-1603 by Sec. 1, Ch. 272, L. 1971; R.C.M. 1947, 82A-1603; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 293, L. 1981; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 274, L. 1981; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 390, L. 1983; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 307, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 42, Ch. 83, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 413, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 21, Ch. 429, L. 1995.