(1) After notice and a hearing conducted pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act, the director may suspend or revoke a certificate of registration or may impose an administrative fine not to exceed one thousand dollars per violation, or any combination of actions, if the director finds the multiple employer welfare arrangement:

(a) Fails to maintain the stop-loss insurance policy as required by section 44-7609;

(b) Engages in financial practices that make further transaction of business in this state hazardous or injurious to its participating employers, covered individuals, or the public;

(c) Within fifteen business days, fails to respond or request a reasonable amount of additional time to respond in which time a response is made, to an inquiry of the director;

(d) Fails for an unreasonable period to pay any final judgment rendered against it in this state on any contractual obligation;

(e) Conducts business fraudulently or has not met its contractual obligations in good faith;

(f) Made, published, disseminated, circulated, or placed before the public or caused, directly or indirectly, to be made, published, disseminated, circulated, or placed before the public in a newspaper, magazine, or other publication or in the form of a notice, circular, pamphlet, letter, or poster or over any radio or television station, or in any other way, an advertisement, announcement, or statement containing any assertion, representation, or statement with respect to the health benefit plan or with respect to any insurer in the conduct of his or her business which is untrue, deceptive, or misleading; or

(g) Violates any provision of the Multiple Employer Welfare Arrangement Act or section 44-106 or 44-114.

(2) Instead of or in addition to the penalties set forth in subsection (1) of this section, the director may issue a cease and desist order to a multiple employer welfare arrangement if such multiple employer welfare arrangement engages in any of the activities set forth in subsection (1) of this section.