Section 304. Hearings; conduct; findings and report

(a) Unless otherwise
  provided in this chapter, any hearing pursuant to this  chapter  may  be
  held  before  the  superintendent,  any  deputy  superintendent,  or any
  designated  salaried  employee  of  the  department  authorized  by  the
  superintendent for such purpose.
    (b)  The person conducting such hearing shall have power to administer
  oaths, examine  and  cross-examine  witnesses  and  receive  documentary
  evidence,  and  shall  report his findings, orally or in writing, to the
  superintendent with or without recommendation.  Such report, if  adopted
  by  the  superintendent  or  by  his  authority  may be the basis of any
  determination made by  the  superintendent  or  by  his  authority.  One
  hundred  twenty  days  after  the  effective  date of a determination of
  liability for a civil penalty pursuant to section  four  hundred  three,
  two thousand one hundred two or two thousand one hundred thirty-three of
  this chapter, 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 the state of New York.
    (c) Every such  hearing  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.
    (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  his
  interest.
    (e) Nothing herein contained shall require the observance at any  such
  hearing of formal rules of pleading or evidence.