Whenever a decision of the director suspends for 30 days or less the license of a person licensed pursuant to Sections 11701 to 11709, inclusive, or Sections 11901 to 11913, inclusive, and such suspension becomes final, the licensee may, before the operative date of such suspension, petition the director for permission to make a monetary payment in lieu of serving all, or a portion, of the suspension. Upon receipt of such petition, the director may stay the suspension while he makes such investigation as he deems desirable and may grant the petition if he is satisfied (a) that the public health, safety and welfare will not be impaired by permitting the licensee to operate during the period set for suspension; (b) the payment of the sum of money will achieve the desired disciplinary purpose; and (c) that it will be possible to determine with reasonable accuracy from the records of the licensee the services which would have been performed under the privilege of the license during the period in which the license would have been suspended.

As to a licensee engaged for hire in the business of pest control, the monetary payment stated in the petition shall be in a specific amount, which is estimated to be the equivalent of 20 percent of the gross receipts of the licensee for each day of the suspension and shall not be less than two hundred fifty dollars ($250) nor more than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500).

As to a licensee licensed with a pest control aircraft pilot’s certificate, the monetary payment in the petition shall be in a specific amount, which is estimated to be the equivalent of 50 percent of the gross earnings of the licensee for all work performed by him under the privileges of the license for each day of the suspension and shall not be less than one hundred dollars ($100) nor more than one thousand dollars ($1,000).

When the decision provides that a portion of the suspension shall be stayed on probationary conditions, the petition shall not apply to the portion of the suspension which is so stayed, nor shall such portion be included in determining the 30-day limitation for eligibility of the petition.

If the petition is accepted, then upon payment by the licensee of the sum specified the director shall enter his order permanently staying all or a portion of the suspension in accordance with the petition.

All payments received pursuant to this section shall be credited to the Department of Agriculture Fund for use in the administration and enforcement of this division.

(Amended by Stats. 1979, Ch. 732. Note: See this section as modified on July 17, 1991, in Governor's Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1991.)