Impartial due process hearings.
Impartial due process hearings. The State unit must establish and implement formal review procedures, as required under paragraph (b)(1)(i) of this section, that provide that -
(1) Hearing conducted by an impartial hearing officer, selected in accordance with paragraph (f) of this section, must be held within 60 days of an applicant's or recipient 's request for review of a determination made by personnel of the State unit that affects the provision of vocational rehabilitation services to the individual, unless informal resolution or a mediation agreement is achieved prior to the 60th day or the parties agree to a specific extension of time;
(2) In addition to the rights described in paragraph (b)(3) of this section, the applicant or recipient or, if appropriate, the individual's representative must be given the opportunity to present witnesses during the hearing and to examine all witnesses and other relevant sources of information and evidence;
(3) The impartial hearing officer must -
(i) Make a decision based on the provisions of the approved vocational rehabilitation services portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan, the Act, Federal vocational rehabilitation regulations, and State regulations and policies that are consistent with Federal requirements; and
(ii) Provide to the individual or, if appropriate, the individual's representative and to the State unit a full written report of the findings and grounds for the decision within 30 days of the completion of the hearing; and
(4) The hearing officer's decision is final, except that a party may request an impartial review under paragraph (g)(1) of this section if the State has established procedures for that review, and a party involved in a hearing may bring a civil action under paragraph (i) of this section.