[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 49, Volume 1]
[Revised as of October 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 49CFR31.21]

[Page 366-367]
 
                        TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION
 
          Subtitle A--Office of the Secretary of Transportation
 
PART 31_PROGRAM FRAUD CIVIL REMEDIES--Table of Contents
 
Sec.  31.21  Discovery.

    (a) The following types of discovery are authorized:
    (1) Requests for production of documents for inspection and copying;
    (2) Requests for admissions of the authenticity of any relevant 
document or of the truth of any relevant fact;
    (3) Written interrogatories; and
    (4) Depositions.

[[Page 367]]

    (b) For the purpose of this section and Sec. Sec.  31.22 and 31.23, 
the term ``documents'' includes information, documents, reports, 
answers, records, accounts, papers, and other data and documentary 
evidence. Nothing contained herein shall be interpreted to require the 
creation of a document.
    (c) Unless mutually agreed to by the parties, discovery is available 
only as ordered by the ALJ. The ALJ shall regulate the timing of 
discovery.
    (d) Motions for discovery. (1) A party seeking discovery may file a 
motion. Such a motion shall be accompanied by a copy of the request for 
production of documents, request for admissions, or interrogatories, or 
in the case of depositions, a summary of the scope of the proposed 
deposition.
    (2) Within ten days of service, a party may file an opposition to 
the motion and/or a motion for protective order as provided in Sec.  
31.24.
    (3) The ALJ may grant a motion for discovery only if he or she finds 
that the discovery sought--
    (i) Is necessary for the expeditious, fair, and reasonable 
consideration of the issues;
    (ii) Is not unduly costly or burdensome;
    (iii) Will not unduly delay the proceeding; and
    (iv) Does not seek privileged information.
    (4) The burden of showing that discovery should be allowed is on the 
party seeking discovery.
    (5) The ALJ may grant discovery subject to a protective order under 
Sec.  31.24.
    (e) Depositions. (1) If a motion for deposition is granted, the ALJ 
shall issue a subpoena for the deponent, which may require the deponent 
to produce documents. The subpoena shall specify the time and place at 
which the deposition will be held.
    (2) The party seeking to depose shall serve the subpoena in the 
manner prescribed in Sec.  31.8.
    (3) The deponent may file a motion to quash the subpoena or a motion 
for a protective order within ten days of service. If the ALJ has not 
acted on such a motion by the return date, such date shall be suspended 
pending the ALJ's final action on the motion.
    (4) The party seeking to depose shall provide for the taking of a 
verbatim transcript of the deposition, which it shall make available to 
all other parties for inspection and copying.
    (f) Each party shall bear its own costs of discovery.