[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 41, Volume 3]
[Revised as of July 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 41CFR105-8.170-11]

[Page 368-369]
 
           TITLE 41--PUBLIC CONTRACTS AND PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
 
              CHAPTER 105--GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
 
Sec. 105-8.170-11  Hearing.

    (a) Upon a timely request for a hearing, the Special Counsel shall 
take the necessary action to obtain the services of an Administrative 
law judge (ALJ) to conduct the hearing. The ALJ shall issue a notice to 
all parties specifying the date, time, and place of the scheduled 
hearing. The hearing shall be commenced no earlier than 15 days after 
the notice is issued and no later than 60 days after the request for a 
hearing is filed, unless all parties agree to a different date, or there 
are other extenuating circumstances.
    (b) The complainant and respondent shall be parties to the hearing. 
Any interested person or organization may petition to become a party or 
amicus curiae. The ALJ may, in his or her discretion, grant such a 
petition if, in his or her opinion, the petitioner has a legitimate 
interest in the proceedings and the participation will not unduly delay 
the outcome and may contribute materially to the proper disposition of 
the proceedings.
    (c) The hearing, decision, and any administrative review thereof 
shall be conducted in conformity with 5 U.S.C. 554-557 (sections 5-8 of 
the Administrative Procedure Act). The ALJ shall have the duty to 
conduct a fair hearing, to take all necessary action to avoid delay, and 
to maintain order. He or she shall have all powers necessary to these 
ends, including (but not limited to) the power to--
    (1) Arrange and change the date, time, and place of hearings and 
prehearing conferences and issue notices thereof;
    (2) Hold conferences to settle, simplify, or determine the issue in 
a hearing, or to consider other matters that may aid in the expeditious 
disposition of the hearing;
    (3) Require parties to state their position in writing with respect 
to the various issues in the hearing and to exchange such statements 
with all other parties;
    (4) Examine witnesses and direct witnesses to testify;
    (5) Receive, rule on, exclude, or limit evidence;
    (6) Rule on procedural items pending before him or her; and
    (7) Take any action permitted to the ALJ as authorized by this part, 
or by the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 551-
559).
    (d) Technical rules of evidence shall not apply to hearings 
conducted pursuant to Sec. 105-8.170-11, but rules or principles 
designed to assure production of credible evidence available and to 
subject testimony to cross-examination shall be applied by the ALJ 
whenever reasonably necessary. The ALJ may exclude irrelevant, 
immaterial, or unduly repetitious evidence. All documents and other 
evidence offered or taken for the record shall be open to examination by 
the parties and opportunity shall be given to refute facts and arguments 
advanced on either side of the issues. A transcript shall be made of the 
oral evidence except to the extent the substance thereof is stipulated 
for the record. All decisions shall be based upon the hearing record.

[[Page 369]]

    (e) The costs and expenses for the conduct of a hearing shall be 
allocated as follows:
    (1) Persons employed by the agency shall, upon request to the agency 
by the ALJ, be made available to participate in the hearing and shall be 
on official duty status for this purpose. They shall not receive witness 
fees.
    (2) Employees of other Federal agencies called to testify at a 
hearing shall, at the request of the ALJ and with the approval of the 
employing agency, be on official duty status during any period of 
absence from normal duties caused by their testimony, and shall not 
receive witness fees.
    (3) The fees and expenses of other persons called to testify at a 
hearing shall be paid by the party requesting their appearance.
    (4) The ALJ may require the agency to pay travel expenses necessary 
for the complainant to attend the hearing.
    (5) The respondent shall pay the required expenses and charges for 
the ALJ and court reporter.
    (6) All other expenses shall be paid by the party, the intervening 
party, or amicus curiae incurring them.
    (f) The ALJ shall submit in writing recommended findings of fact, 
conclusions of law, and remedies to all parties and the Special Counsel 
for Ethics and Civil Rights within 30 days after receipt of the hearing 
transcripts, or within 30 days after the conclusion of the hearing if no 
transcript is made. This time limit may be extended with the permission 
of the Special Counsel.
    (g) Within 15 days after receipt of the recommended decision of the 
ALJ any party may file exceptions to the decision with the Speical 
Counsel. Thereafter, each party will have ten days to file reply 
exceptions with the Special Counsel.