[Code of Federal Regulations] [Title 14, Volume 4] [Revised as of January 1, 2006] From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access [CITE: 14CFR302.33] [Page 295-296] TITLE 14--AERONAUTICS AND SPACE CHAPTER II--OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (AVIATION PROCEEDINGS) PART 302_RULES OF PRACTICE IN PROCEEDINGS--Table of Contents Subpart A_Rules of General Applicability Sec. 302.33 Tentative decision of the DOT decisionmaker. (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, whenever the administrative law judge certifies the record in a proceeding directly to the DOT decisionmaker without issuing an initial or recommended decision in the matter, the DOT decisionmaker shall, after consideration of any briefs submitted by the parties, prepare a tentative decision and serve it upon the parties. Every tentative decision of the DOT decisionmaker shall state the names of the persons who are to receive copies of it, the time within which exceptions to such decision and briefs, if any, in support of or in opposition to the exceptions may be filed, and the date when such decision will become final in the absence of exceptions thereto. If no exceptions are filed to the tentative decision of the DOT decisionmaker within the period fixed, it shall become final at the expiration of such period unless the DOT decisionmaker orders otherwise. (b) The DOT decisionmaker may, in his or her discretion, omit a tentative decision in proceedings under subpart [[Page 296]] B. Final decisions of the DOT decisionmaker are subject to review as provided in Sec. 302.18.