(a) Penalties.   (1) Civil Penalties.     (A) In addition to any penalties assessed by a local government, any person who violates either the Dune Protection Act, the Open Beaches Act, this subchapter, a removal order issued pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, a restoration order issued pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, or a permit or certificate condition is liable for a civil penalty of not less than $50 nor more than $2000 per violation per day as provided in the Dune Protection Act, §63.181(b) and the Open Beaches Act, §61.018(c). Each day the violation occurs or continues constitutes a separate violation. Violations of the Dune Protection Act, the Open Beaches Act, and the rules adopted pursuant to those statutes are separate violations, and the General Land Office may assess separate penalties. The assessment of penalties under one Act does not preclude another assessment of penalties under the other Act for the same act or omission. Conversely, compliance with one statute and the rules adopted thereunder does not preclude the General Land Office from assessing penalties under the other statute and the rules adopted pursuant to that statute.     (B) A local government may recover civil penalties in a suit by a county attorney, district attorney, or criminal district attorney as authorized in the Dune Protection Act, §63.181(a), and the Open Beaches Act, §61.018(b).   (2) Administrative Penalties.     (A) Any person who violates either the Dune Protection Act, the Open Beaches Act, this subchapter, or a permit or certificate condition is also liable to the General Land Office for an administrative penalty of not less than $50 nor more than $2000 per violation per day as provided in the Dune Protection Act, §63.1811, and the Open Beaches Act, §61.0181. Provided, however, if the structure that is the subject of an administrative penalty assessed pursuant to the Open Beaches Act, §61.0181, has been used as a permanent, temporary, or occasional residential dwelling by at least one person during the year before the date on which the penalty is assessed, the amount of the administrative penalty may not exceed $1000 per day the violation occurs or continues.     (B) Administrative penalties assessed by the Commissioner of the General Land Office (commissioner) as part of an order for dune restoration issued pursuant to the Dune Protection Act, §63.1813 or an order for removal of a structure issued pursuant to the Open Beaches Act, §61.0183, are subject to the notice, orders, and hearing requirements outlined in subsections (b) and (c) of this section, respectively. In determining the amount of the administrative penalty for violations of the Dune Protection Act and the Open Beaches Act, the General Land Office will consider the following:       (i) the seriousness of the violation, including the nature, circumstances, extent, and gravity of the violation and the hazard or damage caused thereby;       (ii) the degree of cooperation and quality of response;       (iii) the degree of culpability and history of previous violations by the person subject to the penalty;       (iv) the amount of penalty necessary to deter future violations; and       (v) any other matter justice requires.   (3) Local governments are included in the definition of "person" in §15.2 of this title (relating to Definitions), and as such, they are liable for penalties for any violations of this subchapter, the Dune Protection Act, and the Open Beaches Act. A local government will be liable for penalties for such violations, including, but not limited to, failure to submit a dune protection and beach access plan to the General Land Office; failure to maintain and enforce its plan; and failure to implement the plan. These violations are in addition to any other violations of this subchapter for which a local government may be liable for penalties.   (4) The provisions of this section are cumulative of all other civil and administrative penalties, remedies, and enforcement and liability provisions.   (5) In determining whether the assessment of penalties is appropriate, the General Land Office will consider the following mitigating circumstances: acts of God, war, public riot, or strike; unforeseeable, sudden, and natural occurrences of a violent nature; and willful misconduct by a third party not related to the permittee or person responsible for the violation by employment or contract. (b) Restoration for Damage, Destruction, or Removal of Dunes or Dune Vegetation.   (1) Pursuant to the Dune Protection Act, §63.1813, the commissioner may order restoration or contract for restoration for damage, destruction, or removal of a sand dune or a portion of a sand dune or the killing, destruction, or removal of any vegetation growing on a sand dune seaward of the dune protection line or within a critical dune area in violation of the Dune Protection Act, this subchapter, or any rule, permit, or order issued under the Dune Protection Act.   (2) A person is considered to be engaging in or to have engaged in conduct that violates the Dune Protection Act or any rule, permit, or order issued under this Act if the person is the person who most recently owned, maintained, controlled, or possessed the real property on which the conduct occurred.   (3) Before the commissioner may order restoration or assess an administrative penalty under this section, the commissioner must give written notice and an opportunity for a hearing to the person charged with the violation in accordance with the Dune Protection Act, §63.1814 and the procedures outlined in paragraph (6) of this subsection. A person who does not request a hearing within 60 days after the date on which the notice is served waives all rights to judicial review.   (4) The person must request a hearing to contest the commissioner's findings or initiate restoration by filing an application for a dune protection permit with the local government with jurisdiction in the area in which the violation occurred within 60 days after service of the notice of violation. The permit application must address any technical specifications and monitoring requirements described in the commissioner's notice of violation.   (5) If the person fails to initiate restoration or make a timely written request for a hearing, the commissioner may order restoration, assess restoration costs, fees and expenses, impose an administrative penalty, or use any combination of these remedies. The order may specify the technical specifications for restoration and monitoring requirements.   (6) Notice, Orders, and Hearings.     (A) When the commissioner has determined that damage, destruction, or removal of dunes or dune vegetation is a violation of the Dune Protection Act, §63.091 or any rule, permit, or order issued under the Dune Protection Act, the commissioner must give written notice to the person that is taking or has taken actions that violate the Dune Protection Act, 63.091 or any rule, permit, or order issued under the Dune Protection Act. The notice must state:       (i) the specific conduct that violates the Dune Protection Act, this subchapter, or any permit or order issued under the Dune Protection Act ;       (ii) that the person who has engaged in or has been engaged in the conduct that violates the Dune Protection Act, this subchapter, or any permit or order issued under the Dune Protection Act must perform restoration for the damage caused by the violation not later than the 60th day after the day the notice is served;       (iii) that failure to perform restoration for the damage caused by the violation may result in a liability for a civil penalty under the Dune Protection Act, §63.0181(b) in an amount specified, restoration contracted or undertaken by the commissioner, and liability for the costs of restoration, or any combination of those remedies; and       (iv) that the person who is engaging in or has engaged in conduct that violates the Dune Protection Act or any rule, permit, or order under the Dune Protection Act may submit, not later than the 60th day after the date on which the notice is served, a written request for a hearing to contest the commissioner's findings.     (B) The notice required by this subsection must be given:       (i) by service in person, by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, or by priority mail; or       (ii) if personal service cannot be obtained or the address of the person is unknown, by posting a copy of the written notice at the site where the conduct was engaged in and by publishing notice in a newspaper with general circulation in the county in which the site is located at least two times within ten consecutive days.     (C) If the person requests a hearing, the commissioner must grant the hearing before an administrative law judge employed by the State Office of Administrative Hearings in accordance with the procedures outlined in the Dune Protection Act, 61.0184(g).   (7) If the person who is engaged in or has been engaged in conduct that violated the Dune Protection Act, §63.091 or any rule, permit, or order issued under the Dune Protection Act does not pay assessed administrative penalties, mitigation costs, other assessed fees and expenses, or file an application for a dune protection permit on or before the 60th day after the date of entry of a final order assessing the penalties, costs, and expenses, the commissioner may:     (A) contract for restoration;     (B) request that the attorney general institute civil proceedings to collect the penalties, costs of restoration, and other fees and expenses remaining unpaid; or     (C) use any combination of the remedies prescribed by this section, or other remedies authorized by law, to collect the unpaid penalties, costs of restoration, and other fees and expenses assessed because of unauthorized conduct and its mitigation by the commissioner. (c) Removal of Certain Structures, Improvements, Obstructions, Barriers, and Hazards on the Public Beach.   (1) The commissioner may order the removal of a structure, improvement, obstruction, barrier, or hazard from a public beach or assess an administrative penalty in accordance with the Open Beaches Act, §§61.0181 - 61.0184 and this subsection. The term "structure" as used in this subsection has the meaning assigned in §15.2(67) of this title (relating to Definitions) and includes any improvement, obstruction, barrier or hazard on the public beach.   (2) For the purposes of this subsection, a person is considered to be the person who owns, maintains, controls, or possesses a structure or other encroachment on the public beach for the purposes of this subsection if the person is the person who most recently owned, maintained, controlled, or possessed the structure or other encroachment on the public beach.   (3) The commissioner may conduct an evaluation to determine if grounds for removal of a structure exist pursuant to the Open Beaches Act, §61.0183. The evaluation will include:     (A) a determination of whether the structure is located wholly or partially on the public beach in accordance with §15.3(b) of this title (relating to Boundary of the Public Beach).     (B) if the structure is determined to be located on the public beach, the evaluation will also include:       (i) a determination as to whether the structure constitutes an imminent hazard to safety, health, or public welfare as provided in §15.15 of this title (relating to Criteria for Determining Health and Safety Hazards Associated with Structures on the Public Beach), or       (ii) a determination as to whether the structure was constructed or placed on the beach in a manner that is inconsistent with the local government's beach access and use plan.   (4) Before the commissioner orders the removal of a structure or imposes an administrative penalty, the commissioner must give written notice and an opportunity for hearing to the person who is constructing, maintaining, controlling, owning, or possessing the structure on the public beach in accordance with the Open Beaches Act, §61.0184 and the procedures outlined in paragraph (6) of this subsection. The person must forward a copy of the notice to any entity or individual holding a lien, mortgage or any other property interest in the structure and provide evidence of compliance with this requirement to the General Land Office within ten days of receiving the notice.   (5) If the person fails to remove the structure or make a timely written request for a hearing, the commissioner may order the removal of the structure, assess removal costs, fees and expenses, impose an administrative penalty, or use any combination of these remedies.   (6) Notice, Orders and Hearings.     (A) Before the commissioner may order the removal of a structure, improvement, obstruction, barrier, or hazard under the Open Beaches Act, §61.0183, or impose an administrative penalty under the Open Beaches Act, §61.0181, the commissioner must provide written notice to the person who is constructing, maintains, controls, owns, or possesses the structure, improvement, obstruction, barrier, or hazard on the public beach. The notice must:       (i) describe the specific structure that violates the Open Beaches Act or this subchapter;       (ii) state that the person who is constructing, maintains, controls, owns or possess the structure is required to remove the structure:         (I) within a reasonable time specified by the commissioner if the structure is an imminent threat to public health, safety or welfare as provided in §15.15 of this title (relating to Criteria for Determining Health and Safety Hazards Associated with Structures on the Public Beach); or Cont'd...