DAN MORALES 

Al-rORNEY GENERAL 

QBffice of ttje Igttornep 

Bttatr af nxae 

June 24,1993 

QSenerat 

Mr. Fred S. Bhkky, Jr., RX. 

E Directorkcretwy 

TexasStateBoardofPbarmacy 

8505 Cross Park Drive, Suite 110 

hstio,Texas 787544594 

Opinion No. DM-23 1 

Re: Whether a quorm ofa licensing hoard 

attend@ a ticcttsee disciplimy hauing 

conducted by the state OJLECC of 

. . . AdWlWWCHWfitlgSlMyUlfkCtilldhgS 

of f&t, conclllsions of law, and vote on 

discipline without 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 (codified V.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 Senate Bii 884 would 

accomplish at least two purposes. Fii the legishue hoped to incraw economic 

eakimcy by pooling the resources of smaller agaGes that are unable to employ iilll-time 

p. 1196 
Mr. 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 Senator l&&or& author) (tape available ti 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 

6252-13f at&or&s an ad&katk lawjudm to parform the 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. Sennte BiU 884 added to APTRA 

aection 13(j). which provides as follows: 

This subsection applies only to an ndminiararivs law judge 

employedbytheStateOfiiceofAdministrativeHwtings. The 

. . . lldnnmstratnnlawjudgewhoconductsthehcatiagshallconsiderany 

applicable agenq n&s or policies in conducting the hearing, but rnqY 

nolbrsuprrvisdby~~agrncyuVrrthrcoatrsledccwisbrfopr. 

TheagmcystmllprovidetheadmbUa&lawjudgcwithawrincn 

statanent of applicable rules or policies. An wv q mr q 

p. 1197 
Mr. 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 administmtive law 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. 1198 
Mr.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: See B. 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 cbaractwizstkm of 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 law judge 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 satisfied the rquiranents articulated in section 15. 

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

Youalsosuggestthatbecausemmyumtestalcasubeforrtheboardinvolvea 

pharmakt accused ofillegally diverdng controlled substances the board should be 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 a case 

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 agency rule. .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. article 4542a-1. also authorizes the board to sue in district comt 

to ruttain or enjoin a person from violating article 4542a-1. See V.T.C.S. att. 4542a-1, 

0 26(a)(9) (pvidhg that board may discipline pharmakt who violates any pr0vision of 

tbe Controlled Substanw Act or Daqenws Drug Act). In our opinion, the~&w, the 

aknat&sbywhi0hitmayscektorWrainorenjoinapharma&t~illegally 

p. 1200 
Mr. 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,whichthcboludmry 

xmdiQonlyincomplianawithsecdon13~)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 

MADELEJNE B. JOHNSON 

chak,Gpildoncomadttee 

p. 1201