37-1-410. Unprofessional conduct. (1) The following is unprofessional conduct for a licensee or license applicant in a profession or occupation governed by this part:

(a) being convicted, including a conviction following a plea of nolo contendere and regardless of a pending appeal, of a crime relating to or committed during the course of practicing the person's profession or occupation or involving violence, the use or sale of drugs, fraud, deceit, or theft;

(b) permitting, aiding, abetting, or conspiring with a person to violate or circumvent a law relating to licensure or certification;

(c) committing fraud, misrepresentation, deception, or concealment of a material fact in applying for or assisting in securing a license or license renewal or in taking an examination required for licensure;

(d) signing or issuing, in the licensee's professional capacity, a document or statement that the licensee knows or reasonably ought to know contains a false or misleading statement;

(e) making a misleading, deceptive, false, or fraudulent advertisement or other representation in the conduct of the profession or occupation;

(f) offering, giving, or promising anything of value or benefit to a federal, state, or local government employee or official for the purpose of influencing the employee or official to circumvent a federal, state, or local law, rule, or ordinance governing the licensee's profession or occupation;

(g) receiving a denial, suspension, revocation, probation, fine, or other license restriction or discipline against a licensee by a state, province, territory, or Indian tribal government or the federal government if the action is not on appeal or under judicial review or has been satisfied;

(h) failing to comply with a term, condition, or limitation of a license by final order of the department;

(i) having a physical or mental disability that renders the licensee or license applicant unable to practice the profession or occupation with reasonable skill and safety;

(j) misappropriating property or funds from a client or workplace or failing to comply with the department's rule regarding the accounting and distribution of a client's property or funds;

(k) interfering with an investigation or disciplinary proceeding by willful misrepresentation of facts, failure to respond to department inquiries regarding a complaint against the licensee or license applicant, or the use of threats or harassment against or inducement to a client or witness to prevent them from providing evidence in a disciplinary proceeding or other legal action or use of threats or harassment against or inducement to a person to prevent or attempt to prevent a disciplinary proceeding or other legal action from being filed, prosecuted, or completed;

(l) assisting in the unlicensed practice of a profession or occupation or allowing another person or organization to practice or offer to practice the profession or occupation by use of the licensee's license;

(m) using alcohol, an illegal drug, or a dangerous drug, as defined in Title 50, chapter 32, to the extent that the use impairs the user physically or mentally in the performance of licensed professional duties; or

(n) exhibiting conduct that does not meet generally accepted standards of practice. A certified copy of a judgment against the licensee or license applicant or of a tort judgment in an action involving an act or omission occurring within the scope of practice and the course of the practice is considered conclusive evidence of but is not needed to prove conduct that does not meet generally accepted standards.

(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section or any other provision of this title governing unprofessional conduct of a licensee or a license applicant under this title, it is not unprofessional conduct for a licensee or a license applicant under this title to engage in the exercise of rights protected under the free exercise clause or the free speech clause of the Montana constitution or the United States constitution.