1. If a person wishes to contest a decision of the Administrator to impose or refuse to impose a benefit penalty pursuant to NRS 616D.120, the person must file a notice of appeal with an appeals officer in accordance with this section. The notice of appeal must set forth the reasons the proposed benefit penalty should or should not be imposed.

2. A person who is aggrieved by:

(a) A written determination of the Administrator; or

(b) The failure of the Administrator to respond within 90 days to a written request mailed to the Administrator by the person who is aggrieved,

may appeal from the determination or failure to respond by filing a request for a hearing before an appeals officer. The request must be filed within 30 days after the date on which the notice of the Administrator’s determination was mailed by the Administrator or within 100 days after the date on which the unanswered written request was mailed to the Administrator, as applicable. The failure of the Administrator to respond to a written request for a determination within 90 days after receipt of the request shall be deemed by the appeals officer to be a denial of the request.

3. If a notice of appeal is not filed as required by this section, the imposition of or refusal to impose the benefit penalty shall be deemed a final order and is not subject to review by any court or agency.

4. A hearing held pursuant to this section must be conducted by the appeals officer as a hearing de novo. The appeals officer shall render a written decision on the appeal. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the provisions of NRS 616C.345 to 616C.385, inclusive, apply to an appeal filed pursuant to this section.

5. A benefit penalty imposed pursuant to NRS 616D.120 must be paid to the claimant on whose behalf it is imposed. If such a payment is not made within the period required by NRS 616D.120, the benefit penalty may be recovered in a civil action brought by the Administrator on behalf of the claimant in a court of competent jurisdiction in the county in which the claimant resides, in which the violation occurred or in which the person who is required to pay the benefit penalty has his or her principal place of business.

6. Any party aggrieved by a decision issued pursuant to this section by an appeals officer may appeal the decision directly to the district court.

(Added to NRS by 1993, 691; A 1995, 1639; 2003, 1681)