DAN MORALES Al-rORNEY GENERAL 

## QBffice

of ttje Igttornep Bttatr af nxae
June24,1993 

## QSenerat

Mr. Fred S. Bhkky, Jr., RX. E Directorkcretwy TexasStateBoardofPbarmacy 8505 Cross Park Drive, Suite 110 hstio,Texas 787544594 OpinionNo. DM-231

Re: Whethera quorm ofa licensinghoard attend@ a ticcttsee disciplimy hauing conducted by the state OJLECC of

. . . AdWlWWCHWfitlgSlMyUlfkCtilldhgS of f&t, conclllsions of law, and vote on disciplinewithout lec&ng &out the state of3iceof-Hearingsapropoatll for decision (RQ-408)
Dar Mr. Brinkley:

ThelegblamctwtedtheSOAHin1991by~SulateBiu884. SeeActs 1991,72d Leg., ch. 591, at 2127-28 (codifiedV.T.C.S. article 6252-130. The I~ d~~theSOAHtoconduct~~~incomeotedcasaundatbc

. . . Admmwaw Procedure and Texas Rqister Act (IAP’llU”). V.T.C.S. article 6252-13~ thatmbcfon~clgency~doesnotemployaparonwhosesoledutyistopresideas~a harings officer over matters related to wntestcd cases hefore the agencyP V.T.C.S. art. 652513$5 2(h). The k@latwe hoped that the implawntation of SenateBii 884 would accomplish at least two purposes. Fii the legishue hoped to incraw economic eakimcy by pooling the resources of smalleragaGes that are unableto employ iilll-time

p. 1196Mr. Fred S. Brbkky, Jr., R.Ph. - Page 2 (Un-231)

. . . adamsmmlawjudgea. Sewnd,thcl~hopedtocrrrtcmjudk+ifldqmdentoftheagencythatcouldhalrobjcciively-dispPrtes. Heatiqs on Senate Bill 884 Before the Senate Comm. on State Af&rs (Apr. 8,lWl) (tudmony of Senatorl&&or& author) (tape availableti Samte Staff Savices). Among other thinga, Senate Bill 884 added article 6252-I3f to the Revised Cii htutea. Scr Acts 1991.72d Leg., ch. 591,@ l-4 at 2127-28. Section 3(b) ofatticle 6252-13fat&or&s an ad&katk lawjudm to parformthe Mowing kstiomz

(3) Nlewquati~ofsvidara; (4)k3ueonksfdatiagtodiscovaryaadotilerbenriogor lsdmrhg~incJudingordersbnposingsanctionstllattllc age.ncythatthecomtaluaeiabeforemayimpo~albjectto reviewbytheagenqy and (5) issueproposalsiixdecisionthatin&deiindiqaoftbctmd amclusi~oflaw. .!hdwStateOf6ceofA’ “

. ‘keHem@a, 17Tex.Re&644243(1992)(tok cod&d at 1 TALC. 85 155.15(b), 155.51). You bokve that this provkm aterdy admizu,hutdoe3notrequ&anadt&WahlawjudgefbrtheSOAHtoiasuea propoulfbrdecisionand-nrpporclyourwntwdontbattbeboardnmytnakeita own6ndingsoffhctandconddonaoflawafter~a~onadbciplisrry matterbeforethesoAH. Howevcr,theplainlaquagcofotha~L?fSalatcBin 884, as well as the bill’ s IegiWve history, indicates that the legkkure intended the SOAHtomake6ndingaofiictandconcllmiolmoflawottmzuterabeforek Theagency XWpOd&tbC~kwjUdge'S~8Udcondurionr,bUt~bl c4xnpliaucewiththe~statedillSumteBiu884. APTl&aswdlastllerulesofpncdceandpmwdurebefbretbebw4gownr laydisciplinary~ontheboudtalresundaraction26oftheTaarP~Ad. V.T.C.S. tide 4542a-1. V.T.C.S. art. 4542e-1.0 27. SennteBiU884 added to APTRA aection 13(j). which provides as follows:

This subsection applies only to an ndminiararivs law judge employedbytheStateOfiiceofAdministrativeHwtings. The

. . . lldnnmstratnnlawjudgewhoconductsthehcatiagshallconsiderany applicableagenq n&s or policiesinconducting thehearing,but rnqY nolbrsuprrvisdby~~agrncyuVrrthrcoatrsledccwisbrfopr. TheagmcystmllprovidetheadmbUa&lawjudgcwithawrincn statanent of applicablerules or policies. An wv q mr q

p. 1197Mr. Fred S. Brinldey.Jr., RPh. - Page 3 (m-231)

~ilwzingprocess: theajp%cymustprovidetheadmi&&velawjudgewitll awritten~ofrulerorpoliciarit~-rrenlevanttothcorrte3tedg#(sn &oStateOEccofM “

. tiveHear+s,17Te~Reg.6441(1992)(tobecodi6edat 1 T.A.C. 0 155.5(c)); the agency may present evidence and legal aqumatt to the

. . . .

Thclq&tivehistoryofSenateBiU884sqportsourdct~ Amanber oftbecommitteetbatd&edSenateBill884tati&dheforetheHouscComt&aon StateAGrsthattlteumlminahadtriedto~rbilraa~thepowsnofthe agwcyaKlthesoAH. Hearingsws.B.884B&rctbeHouseCormnonstate~ (Mry6.1991)(tcrthnoayofReggieJpnes,~colrnmvnUllion)(trpe available i+om House Committee Coo&ator). Section S(b) of tha big whirb added tectiw13(i)toApTRA,~culateJthc~thecormnineercnrcl:tbesoAHis ~~lefor~~~gtotheagcncy~~offact~~~oflaw,but thelylencyhsstheuhimateauthoritytoapprovetheproposalfordeciskm. Srcid. Fmthumore, the committee draf&l the bill to restrict an agenq+s powa to ovaturn

. . . ~~wjudge’ sdccisionbypamittingtheagencytochangea ~f&oraconclusionoflawonlyforpolicyreasonsandoniyinwriting. Seeid. Inour~~~rhelegislatunwMtedtoensun~~w~~thatwererequindto
use the services of the SOAH would not intafere with the administmtivelaw judge’ s decision. See id. (testimony ?f.Judith Sokolow, representing Advocacy. Inc.) (testi@ng about need for impa~M admmc%mtive hearings conducted by judiciary independent of agency); id. (testimony of Mary Jo -den, representing T~ras Planniq Council for

p. 1198Mr.FredS.Bdnkky, Jr.,R.Ph. - Page 4 (DH-231)

DeveloptnentalDhbUities)(same). Unti&ther&mm~hasrroeivtdapmpuaal fordecision5omtheadministntivckwjudge,tlteageatcycanparticipateinthe

. . . rdrmmstntlve~OnlybypreKntingevideaamdlMkillg~UgUalWt~tbC hedq. See V.T.C.S. art. 625243a, 0 13(j); Hearing on Senata Bill 884 Before the House Conun. on State ASairs (May 41991) (tutimmy ofLinda Sword, .-y@ O5ceoftheAftonlcyGauxat)(tapeavaihble6umIiousa~coordrmtor.

We do not believe that article 625243f motion 3(b), V.T.C.S., ammdiu~ this wndurion~itrrrtuthatm~kwjudge”mry.’inrtadaf ”rhg issueapropomltardecihn. Inthispro%on,~meaus”tobaveauthityto”or”to be pen&ted to: SeeB. G&tN8&hiODERN LEGAL U8ME 98.354 (1987). Section 3(b) hstswwraltasksmadhismhlawjudge”may”perfotm. ThebillamiysisforSawc Bill884deraibestheIisthr#ctiw3(b)rcl’p~of~irwjudga. A ” ptlm@vcis’mardwivcorspecialrigllt,power,orprivil~: as...onebdoqing tOMofliiar~UtOffiCi8lbody.* w8R8IER?3lQrmiN8w caLEGlAlBDlcnoNARY 930 (1990). we bdiew that the cbaractwizstkmof section 3(b) as a list of pfemgha is wMiatwt*thel~intMt: tllel~intaldal~vfeo*thoseagenciu raplydtoutilizethe ssmicosofthesoAH,tbesoAyandonlytbesoAH,is allth&toconductann~andissuetllepropoulfbrdeoisiou The agaK&-tomodifythepmponlbutonlyin~rdancewitb8ectioo13oof

You8r@lethtaection150fAPTRAat&orkutllebo8rdtofbnsorraiviag8 propoaal~d~~fiantheSOAHifamcljorityodtheboardmrrmknbve&ardtbe caseorteadthetecord. Section15providesiaperhcntpartasfo~

Ifinaumtesedaseatn&ityoftbcofEcihoftbeagutfy wlwamtoratdmthe6mldecisionbavmaotkardthecaseorrad therewn&thedecisi~ifadvusetoaparkytothepPocsadiag0tbu thantheagenq-its@maynotbemadetmtilaproposslfbrdaGon isswvedonthepartia,andanop&Mxm&taffordedtoucllparty advemlya&ctedto6leexceptionsandpremtbriefktotheofficials wlloaretorenderthedecision. SectionlSdoeonot~an~~toforagorrcdvinga~~ford~oa~ tbeSOAHinanyc&mstam. FortboscagcnciestbatarcsubjccttoApTRAandtht must use the suvicu of the SOAH, section 13(j) of APTR& together witb uticle 6252-13$ section 3(b), V.T.C.S., requires the SOAH admhhhe lawjudge to conduct
a hearing and prepare a proposal for decision for the agq@ approval. If the

. . . admuwmm law judge proposes a decision that will be adverse to a party to the proc#dingotherthantheeg~,sectionlSprovidepthattheagmcycarmotrrndaaS final de&ion until it has satisfiedthe rquiranents articulated in section 15.

p. 1199Mr. Fred S. Brinkley,Jr.. RPh. - Page 5 (DM-231)

Youalsosuggestthatbecausemmyumtestalcasubeforrtheboardinvolvea pharmakt accused ofillegally diverdng controlledsubstancesthe board shouldbe able to rcvoketheaaalsedpharmfi&sli-wm-perilbasia. Youamtaldthat requiriagrucbacaseto~befonan~kwjudgeoftheSOAHwilldday ruchMnorda,~a.#iousthreattothepublichealthandwelfue.’ Wenote, however, tlmt article 6252-132 section 3(c), V.T.C.S.. rcquks the SOAH to bear 

### acase withinareaao&letime. scC&StateO&eofMnrinimativeHeakgs,17Tex.Reg. 2565. 6442, 6443 (1992) (to be c&&xl at 1 T&C. 00 155.15(a)(2), 157.1(a)). ~~,~~19AofApTRArutborizcstnilesncy,includiagthebwd,tonquest thcittorneygmaaltobringm~winadirtriacourtwithjurisdictionovathemwa to compel compliance

with an agencyrule. .Qe 28 T.A.C. 0 281.24(a)(3), (4), (5) @sting rmong~fordiscipline~o~~~Mddistributi0nofdrugsinvi0lation of Controlled Sub- Act and Dangenw Drug Act). Se&on 17(k) of the Texas pharrnaq Act, V.T.C.S. article4542a-1. also authorizesthe board to sue in district comt to ruttain or enjoina person from violating article 4542a-1. See V.T.C.S. att. 4542a-1, 0 26(a)(9) (pvidhg that board may disciplinepharmakt who violates any pr0vision of tbe Controlled Substanw Act or Daqenws Drug Act). In our opinion,the~&w, the

aknat&sbywhi0hitmayscektorWrainorenjoinapharma&t~illegally

p. 1200Mr. Fred S. Brinkley,Jr., RPh. - Pale 6 @M-231)

Abswtreaclhganagrud5aldisposltionofamatm.a uculsingboardtlmtirrrequhedtousethe SCWiOUOft&SWtCOBOG ofAdmiGmkH~mayaotmekeitaown~of~ ccldusion$oflaw,ofvateondiscipiine. InstaK&ttKIboardunlsl rcccivcf.tomtheSOAHrpropomlfbrde&ion,whichthcboludmryxmdiQonlyincomplianawithsecdon13~)ofthePmwduru and Teas Registu Act, V.T.C.S. article 6252-13~ Fmthamorc,8bOtKdlUQ-aotpIWU@b~NlegiViOgitthC alalitytomakeitsown6ndlngsoffactandamclusionsoflaw.

DAN MORALES AttOXIWGmmlGfTaU
WlLL PRYOR FnrtASS<AnonryGenaJ

MARYKELLER DepulyAttwntyGenualfrw~on
BmEAHlcKs statefblstor

MADELEJNEB. JOHNSON chak,Gpildoncomadttee

p. 1201