SECTION 88.110. Denial, Suspension, or Revocation Based on Criminal History

(a) Criminal history record information. After an applicant submits a complete registration application, including all required fingerprints, and pays the fees required by §88.107 of this title (relating to Fees), the OCCC will investigate the applicant. The OCCC will obtain criminal history record information from the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation based on the applicant's fingerprint submission. The OCCC will continue to receive information on new criminal activity reported after the fingerprints have been initially processed.

(b) Disclosure of criminal history. The applicant must disclose all criminal history information required to file a complete application with the OCCC. Failure to provide any information required as part of the application or requested by the OCCC reflects negatively on the belief that the business will be operated lawfully and fairly. The OCCC may request additional criminal history information from the applicant, including the following:

(1) information about arrests, charges, indictments, and convictions;

(2) reliable documents or testimony necessary to make a determination under subsection (c) of this section, including letters of recommendation from prosecution, law enforcement, and correctional authorities;

(3) proof that the applicant has maintained a record of steady employment, has supported the applicant's dependents, and has otherwise maintained a record of good conduct; and

(4) proof that all outstanding court costs, supervision fees, fines, and restitution as may have been ordered have been paid or are current.

(c) Crimes directly related to registered occupation. The OCCC may deny a registration application, or suspend or revoke a registration, if the applicant or registrant has been convicted of an offense that directly relates to the duties and responsibilities of a debt management services provider, as provided by Texas Occupations Code, §53.021(a)(1).

(1) Providing debt management services involves making representations to consumers regarding the terms of the services, holding money entrusted to the provider, remitting money to third parties, collecting charges in a legal manner, and compliance with reporting requirements to government agencies. Consequently, the following crimes are directly related to the duties and responsibilities of a registered provider and may be grounds for denial, suspension, or revocation:

(A) theft;

(B) assault;

(C) any offense that involves misrepresentation, deceptive practices, or making a false or misleading statement (including fraud or forgery);

(D) any offense that involves breach of trust or other fiduciary duty;

(E) any criminal violation of a statute governing credit transaction or debt collection;

(F) failure to file a government report, filing a false government report, or tampering with a government record;

(G) any greater offense that includes an offense described in subparagraphs (A) - (F) of this paragraph as a lesser included offense;

(H) any offense that involves intent, attempt, aiding, solicitation, or conspiracy to commit an offense described in subparagraphs (A) - (G) of this paragraph.

(2) In determining whether a criminal offense directly relates to the duties and responsibilities of holding a registration, the OCCC will consider the following factors, as specified in Texas Occupations Code, §53.022:

(A) the nature and seriousness of the crime;

(B) the relationship of the crime to the purposes for requiring a registration to engage in the occupation;

(C) the extent to which a registration might offer an opportunity to engage in further criminal activity of the same type as that in which the person previously had been involved;

(D) the relationship of the crime to the ability or capacity required to perform the duties and discharge the responsibilities of a registrant; and

(E) any correlation between the elements of the crime and the duties and responsibilities of the licensed occupation.

(3) In determining whether a conviction for a crime renders an applicant or a registrant unfit to be a registrant, the OCCC will consider the following factors, as specified in Texas Occupations Code, §53.023:

(A) the extent and nature of the person's past criminal activity;

(B) the age of the person when the crime was committed;

(C) the amount of time that has elapsed since the person's last criminal activity;

(D) the conduct and work activity of the person before and after the criminal activity;

(E) evidence of the person's rehabilitation or rehabilitative effort while incarcerated or after release, or following the criminal activity if no time was served;

(F) evidence of the person's compliance with any conditions of community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision; and

(G) evidence of the person's current circumstances relating to fitness to hold a registration, which may include letters of recommendation.

(d) Offenses involving moral turpitude. The OCCC may deny a registration application, or suspend or revoke a registration, if the applicant, registrant, or a principal party has been convicted of or found civilly liable for an offense involving moral turpitude, as provided by Texas Finance Code, §394.204(i)(1), (k)(1)-(2). Offenses involving moral turpitude include the following:

(1) forgery;

(2) embezzlement;

(3) obtaining money under false pretenses;

(4) larceny;

(5) extortion;

(6) conspiracy to defraud; and

(7) any other similar offense or violation.

(e) Revocation on imprisonment. A registration will be revoked on the registrant's imprisonment following a felony conviction, felony community supervision revocation, revocation of parole, or revocation of mandatory supervision, as provided by Texas Occupations Code, §53.021(b).

(f) Other grounds for denial, suspension, or revocation. The OCCC may deny a registration application, or suspend or revoke a registration, based on any other ground authorized by statute, including the following:

(1) a conviction for an offense listed in Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, art. 42A.054, or art. 62.001(6), as provided by Texas Occupations Code, §53.021(a)(2)-(3);

(2) errors or incomplete information in the registration application, as provided by Texas Finance Code, §394.204(h);

(3) a fact or condition that would have been grounds for denying the registration application, and that either did not exist at the time of the application or the OCCC was unaware of at the time of application, as provided by Texas Finance Code, §394.204(k)(1)-(2); and

(4) any other information warranting the belief that the business will not be operated lawfully and fairly, as provided by Texas Finance Code, §394.204(i)(3), (k)(9).

Source Note: The provisions of this §88.110 adopted to be effective September 10, 2015, 40 TexReg 5774; amended to be effective March 8, 2018, 43 TexReg 1258; amended to be effective March 10, 2022, 47 TexReg 1085