New York Consolidated Laws, Financial Services Law - FIS § 305. Hearings;  conduct;  findings and report

(a) Unless otherwise provided in this chapter, the banking law, the insurance law or any other law, any hearing pursuant to any such law may be held before the superintendent, any deputy superintendent, or any designated salaried employee of the department authorized by the superintendent for such purpose.  Any adjudicatory proceeding, including any hearings to assess civil penalties under section four hundred eight or four hundred eight-a of this chapter, held pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, the insurance law or the banking law shall be noticed, conducted and administered in compliance with the state administrative procedure act.

(b) The person conducting such hearing shall have power to administer oaths, examine and cross-examine witnesses and receive documentary evidence, and shall report such person's findings, orally or in writing, to the superintendent with or without recommendation.  Such report, if adopted by the superintendent may be the basis of any determination made by the superintendent.  One hundred twenty days after the effective date of a determination of liability for a civil penalty pursuant to section four hundred eight or four hundred eight-a of this chapter or four hundred three, one thousand one hundred two, two thousand one hundred two, two thousand one hundred seventeen, two thousand one hundred thirty-three or seven thousand eight hundred sixteen of the insurance law, such determination of liability for a civil penalty may be entered as a judgment and enforced, without court proceedings, in the same manner as the enforcement of a money judgment in civil actions in any court of competent jurisdiction or any other place provided for the entry of civil judgment within this state.

(c) Every such hearing, except for hearings under the banking law, shall be open to the public unless the superintendent or the person authorized by the superintendent to conduct such hearing, shall determine that a private hearing would be in the public interest, in which case the hearing shall be private.  Hearings under the banking law shall be as provided for in the banking law.

(d) Every person affected shall be allowed to be present during the giving of all the testimony, and shall be allowed a reasonable opportunity to inspect all adverse documentary proof, to examine and cross-examine witnesses, and to present proof in support of the person's interest.

(e) Nothing herein contained shall require the observance at any such hearing of formal rules of pleading or evidence.