R497-100. Adjudicative Proceedings, R497. Human Services, Administration, Administrative Hearings, Utah Administrative Code

Utah Administrative Code (Current through November 1, 2019)

R497. Human Services, Administration, Administrative Hearings

R497-100-1. Authority

Latest version.

The Department of Human Services, Office of Administrative Hearings is given rulemaking authority pursuant to Utah Code Ann. Section 62A-1-111.

R497-100-2. Definitions

Latest version.

The terms used in this rule are defined in Section 63G-4-103. In addition,

(1) For the purpose of this Rule, "agency" means the Department of Human Services or a division or office of the Department of Human Services including the Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS), the Division of Services to People with Disabilities (DSPD), the Division of Juvenile Justice Services (DJJS), the Division of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH), the Office of Licensing (OL), the Utah State Developmental Center (USDC), the Utah State Hospital (USH), and any boards, commissions, officers, councils, committees, bureaus, or other administrative units, including the Executive Director and Director of each Division, Office or Instutution. For purposes of this Rule, the term "agency" does not include the Office of Recovery Services (ORS).

(2) "Agency actions or proceedings" of the Department of Human Services include, but are not limited to the following:

(a) challenges to findings of child abuse, neglect and dependency pursuant to Section 62A-4a-1009;

(b) due process hearings afforded to foster parents prior to removal of a foster child from their home pursuant to Section 62A-4a-206;

(c) the denial, revocation, modification or suspension of a license issued by the Office of Licensing pursuant to Section 62A-2-101, et seq.;

(d) challenges to findings of abuse, neglect or exploitation of a vulnerable adult pursuant to Section 62A-3-301, et seq.;

(e) actions by the Division of Juvenile Justice Services and the Youth Parole Authority relating to granting or revocation of parole, discipline or, resolution of grievances of, supervision of, confinement of or treatment of residents of any Juvenile Justice Services facility or institution;

(f) resolution of client grievances with respect to delivery of services by private, nongovernmental, providers within the agency's service delivery system;

(g) actions by Agency owned and operated institutions and facilities relating to discipline or treatment of residents confined to those facilities;

(h) placement and transfer decisions affecting involuntarily committed residents of the Utah State Developmental Center pursuant to Sections 62A-5-313;

(i) protective payee hearings;

(j) Agency records amendment hearings held pursuant to Section 63G-2-603.

(3) "Aggrieved person" includes any applicant, recipient or person aggrieved by an agency action.

(4) "Declaratory Order" is an administrative interpretation or explanation of the applicability of a statute, rule, or order within the primary jurisdiction of the agency to specified circumstances.

(5) "Office" means the Office of Administrative Hearings in the Department of Human Services.

(6) "Presiding officer" means an agency head, or individual designated by the agency head, by these rules, by agency rule, or by statute to conduct an adjudicative proceeding and may include the following:

(a) hearing officers;

(b) administrative law judges;

(d) the superintendent of agency institutions;

(e) statutorily created boards or committees.

R497-100-3. Exceptions

Latest version.

The provisions of this rule do not govern the following:

(1) The procedures for promulgation of agency rules, or the judicial review of those procedures. See Section 63G-4-102(2)(a).

(2) Department actions relating to contracts for the purchase or sale of goods or services by and for the state or by and for the agency, including terminations of contracts by the Department.

(3) Initial applications for and initial determinations of eligibility for state-funded programs.

(4) Adjudicative proceedings brought by or against ORS. The rules regarding ORS are stated in R527-200.

R497-100-4. Form of Proceeding

Latest version.

(1) All adjudicative proceedings commenced by the Department of Human Services or commenced by other persons affected by the Department of Human Services' actions shall be informal adjudicative proceedings.

(2) However, any time before a final order is issued in any adjudicative proceeding, the presiding officer may convert an informal adjudicative proceeding to a formal adjudicative proceeding if:

(a) conversion of the proceeding is in the public interest; and

(b) conversion of the proceeding does not unfairly prejudice the rights of any party.

(3) If a proceeding is converted from informal to formal, the Procedure for Formal Adjudicative Proceedings in Section 63G-4-204 through 208 shall apply. In all other cases, the Procedures for Informal Proceedings in Section 63G-4-203 and R497-100-6 shall apply.

R497-100-5. Commencement of Proceedings

Latest version.

(1) All adjudicative proceedings shall be commenced by either:

(a) a notice of agency action, if proceedings are commenced by the agency; or

(b) a request for agency action, if proceedings are commenced by persons other than the agency.

(2) When adjudicative proceedings are commenced by the agency, the notice of agency action shall conform to Section 63G-4-201(2) and shall also include a statement that:

(a) the adjudicative proceeding is to be conducted informally; and

(b) describes the aggrieved person's right to request a hearing and the applicable time limits within which a hearing must be requested.

(3) When adjudicative proceedings are commenced by a person other than the agency, the request for agency action shall conform to Section 63G-4-201(3)(a) and (b) and include the name of the adjudicative proceeding, if known.

(4) In the case of adjudicative proceedings commenced under Subsection (3), the presiding officer shall within ten business days give notice by mail to all parties. The written notice shall:

(a) give the agency's file number or other reference number;

(b) give the name of the proceeding;

(d) if a hearing is to be held in an informal adjudicative proceeding, state the time and place of any scheduled hearing, the purpose for which the hearing is to be held, and that a party who fails to attend or participate in the hearing may be held in default;

(e) if the agency's rules do not provide for a hearing, state the parties' right to request a hearing within ten working days of the agency's response; and

(f) give the name, title, mailing address, and telephone number of the presiding officer.

R497-100-6. Availability of Hearing

Latest version.

(1) When an informal adjudicative proceeding is commenced by the agency, if the agency's rules do not provide otherwise, a party may request a hearing within ten business days of receipt of the notice of agency action.

(2) All hearing requests received by the agency shall be forwarded to the office, unless another presiding officer is designated by statute or rule.

(3) In the case of a hearing commenced under Subsection (1), a party who fails to request a hearing within ten business days of receipt of the notice of agency action shall have no right to an adjudicative hearing or judicial review of the agency action, unless the party can demonstrate, by a preponderance of the evidence, that it was virtually impossible or unreasonably burdensome to file the request within ten business days.

(4) Hearings may be held in any informal adjudicative proceedings conducted in connection with an agency action if the aggrieved party requests a hearing and if there is a disputed issue of fact. If there is no disputed issue of fact, the presiding officer may deny a request for a hearing and determine all issues in the adjudicative proceeding, if such a determination complies with the policies and standards of the applicable agency. If the aggrieved person objects to the denial of a hearing, that person may raise that objection as grounds for relief in a request for reconsideration.

(5) There is no issue of fact if:

(a) the aggrieved person tenders facts which on their face establish the right of the agency to take the action or obtain the relief sought in the proceeding;or

(b) the aggrieved person tenders facts upon the request of the presiding officer and the fact does not conflict with the facts relied upon by the agency in taking its action or seeking its relief.

R497-100-7. Procedures for Informal Proceedings

Latest version.

In compliance with Section 63G-4-203, the procedure for the informal adjudicative proceedings is as follows:

(1) (a) The respondent to a notice of agency action or request for agency action may, but is not required to, file an answer or responsive pleading to the allegations contained in the notice of agency action or the request for agency action within 10 business days following receipt of the notice of agency action or request for agency action.

(b) A party may be represented by an attorney or a non-attorney. Attorneys will not be appointed by the office or the agency.

(d) In the hearing, the party named in the notice of agency action or in the request for agency action shall be permitted to testify, present evidence and comment on the issues.

(e) Hearings will be held only after a timely notice has been mailed to all parties.

(f) Discovery is prohibited, but the office may issue subpoenas or other orders to compel production of necessary evidence. The office may require that parties exchange documents prior to the hearing in order to expedite the process. All parties to the proceedings will be responsible for the appearance of witnesses.

(g) All parties shall have access to information contained in the agency's files and to all materials and information gathered in any investigation, to the extent permitted by law.

(h) Intervention is prohibited, except that intervention is allowed where a federal statute or rule requires that a state permit intervention.

(i) Within a reasonable time after the close of the hearing, or after the party's failure to request a hearing within the time prescribed by the agency's rules, the presiding officer shall issue a signed order in writing that conforms to Section 63G-4-203(1)(i).

(j) All hearings shall be open to all parties.

(k) The presiding officer's order shall be based on the facts appearing in the agency's files and on the facts presented in evidence at the hearings.

(l) A copy of the presiding officer's order shall be promptly mailed to each of the parties.

(2) All hearings shall be recorded at the office's expense. A transcript of the record may be prepared pursuant to Section 63G-4-203(2)(b).

(3) Unless the agency's statute or rules specify otherwise, when an informal adjudicative proceeding is commenced by the agency and is to be heard by the office, the agency shall have the burden of proving, by a preponderance of the evidence, that it did not abuse its discretion. This can be demonstrated by showing that the agency's decision was not arbitrary and capricious.

R497-100-8. Venue

Latest version.

(1) Venue for in-person hearings conducted by the office shall be in an agency office located in the county closest to where the aggrieved person resides or maintains their principle place of business, unless the office finds good cause to hold the hearing elsewhere.

R497-100-9. Declaratory Orders

Latest version.

(1) Who May File. Any person or governmental entity directly affected by a statute, rule or order administered, promulgated or issued by an agency, may file a petition for a declaratory order by addressing and delivering the written petition to the presiding officer of the appropriate agency.

(2) Content of Petition.

(a) The petition shall be clearly designated as a request for an agency declaratory order and shall include the following information;

(i) the statute, rule or order to be reviewed;

(ii) a detailed description of the situation or circumstances at issue;

(iii) a description of the reason or need for a declaratory order, including a statement as to why the petition should not be considered frivolous;

(iv) an address and telephone where the petitioner can be contacted during regular work days;

(v) a statement about whether the petitioner has participated in a completed or on-going adjudicative proceeding concerning the same issue within the past 12 months; and

(vi) the signature of the petitioner or an authorized representative.

(3) Exemptions from Declaratory Order Procedure. A declaratory order shall not be issued by the agency under the following circumstances:

(a) the subject matter of the petition is not within the jurisdiction and competency of the agency;

(b) the person requesting the declaratory ruling participated in an adjudicative proceeding concerning the same issue within 12 months of the date of the declaratory order request;

(c) the declaratory order procedure is likely to substantially prejudice the rights of a person who would be a necessary party, unless that person consents in writing to a determination of the matter by a declaratory proceeding;

(d) the declaratory order is trivial, irrelevant, or immaterial;

(e) a declaratory order proceeding is otherwise prohibited by state or federal law;

(f) a declaratory order is not in the best interest of the agency or the public;

(g) the subject matter is not ripe for consideration; or

(h) the issue is currently pending in a judicial proceeding.

(4) Intervention in Accordance with Sections 63G-4-203(1)(g) and 63G-4-503.

(a) Intervention is prohibited in informal adjudicative proceedings, except where a federal statute or rule requires that intervention be permitted.

(b) In the case of an adjudicative proceeding that has been converted to a formal adjudicative proceeding, a person may intervene in a declaratory order proceeding by filing a petition to intervene with the presiding officer of the agency within 30 days after the conversion of the proceeding.

(i) the intervener's legal interests may be substantially affected by the declaratory order proceedings; and

(ii) the interests of justice and the orderly and prompt conduct of the declaratory order proceeding will not be materially impaired by allowing intervention.

(5) Review of Petition for Declaratory Order.

(a) After review and consideration of a petition for a declaratory order, the presiding officer of the agency may issue a written order that conforms to Section 63G-4-503(6)(a);

(b) If the matter is set for an adjudicative proceeding, written notice shall be mailed to all parties that shall:

(i) give the name, title, mailing address, and telephone number of the presiding officer;

(ii) give the agency's file number or other reference number;

(iii) give the name of the proceeding;

(iv) state whether the proceeding shall be conducted informally or formally;

(v) state the time and place of any scheduled hearing, the purpose for which the hearing is to be held, and that a party who fails to attend or participate in the hearing may be held in default; and

(vi) if the agency's rules do not provide for a hearing, state the parties' right to request a hearing within 10 working days of the agency's response.

(c) If the agency's presiding officer issues a declaratory order, it shall conform to Section 63G-4-503(6)(b) and shall also contain:

(i) a notice of any right of administrative or judicial review available to the parties; and

(ii) the time limits for filing an appeal or requesting review.

(d) A copy of all declaratory orders shall be mailed in accordance with Section 63G-4-503(6)(c).

(e) If the agency's presiding officer has not issued a declaratory order within 60 days after receipt of the petition, the petition is deemed denied.

R497-100-10. Agency Review

Latest version.

Agency review shall not be allowed.

R497-100-11. Reconsideration

Latest version.

Nothing contained in this Rule prohibits a party from filing a petition for reconsideration pursuant to Section 63G-4-302. If the 20th day for filing a request for reconsideration falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline will be extended until the next working day.

R497-100-12. Scope and Applicability

Latest version.

The provisions of this section supersede the provisions of any other Department rules which may conflict with the foregoing rules.