Iowa Admin. Code r. 481-506.8 - Delegation by board to administrative law judge

(1) Delegation. Upon majority vote of the board, a contested case, whether disciplinary or nondisciplinary, may be delegated to an administrative law judge. The board may delegate the entirety of the case or parts of the case to the administrative law judge. The delegation may occur at the time of filing the notice of hearing and statement of charges and should occur as early as practicable.

(2) Proposed decisions. Decisions issued by an administrative law judge are proposed decisions in accordance with Iowa Code section 17A.15. A proposed decision issued by an administrative law judge becomes a final decision if not timely appealed or reviewed in accordance with this rule.

a. Appeal by party. Any adversely affected party may appeal a proposed decision to the board within 30 days after issuance of the proposed decision.

b. Review. The board may initiate review of the proposed decision on its own motion at any time within 30 days following the issuance of the proposed decision.

c. Exhaustion. A party must timely appeal a proposed decision to the board in order to adequately exhaust administrative remedies.

d. Notice of appeal. An appeal of a proposed decision is initiated by the filing of a timely notice of appeal with the board. The notice of appeal must be signed by the appealing party or an attorney for that party and contain a certificate of service. The notice shall specify:

(1) The party initiating the appeal;

(2) The proposed decision or order being appealed;

(3) The specific findings or conclusions to which exception is taken and any other exceptions to the decision or order;

(4) The relief sought; and

(5) The grounds for relief.

(3) Requests to present additional evidence. A party may request the taking of additional evidence only by establishing that the evidence is material, that good cause existed for the failure to present the evidence at the hearing, and that the party has not waived the right to present the evidence. A written request to present additional evidence must be filed with the notice of appeal or by a nonappealing party within 14 days of service of the notice of appeal. The board may remand a case to the presiding officer for further hearing or may itself preside at the taking of additional evidence.

(4) Scheduling. The board will issue a schedule for consideration of the appeal.

a. Briefs and arguments. Unless otherwise ordered, within 20 days of the notice of appeal or order for review, each appealing party may file exceptions and briefs. Within 20 days thereafter, any party may file a responsive brief. Briefs shall cite any applicable legal authority and specify relevant portions of the record in that proceeding. Written requests to present oral argument shall be filed with the briefs. The board may resolve the appeal on the briefs or provide an opportunity for oral argument. The board may shorten or extend the briefing period as appropriate.

b. Record. The record on appeal or review shall be the entire record made before the administrative law judge.

Notes

Iowa Admin. Code r. 481-506.8

Adopted by IAB April 16, 2025/Volume XLVII, Number 21, effective 3/28/2025