Source: https://rules.sos.ri.gov/regulations/part/250-10-00-1
Timestamp: 2020-04-03 20:49:36
Document Index: 264282068

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 42', '§ 42', '§ 1', '§ 42', '§ 42', '§ 42', '§ 1', '§ 1', '§ 1', 'art 1']

Rules and Regulations for the Administrative Adjudication Division (250-RICR-10-00-1) - Rhode Island Department of State
Rules and Regulations for the Administrative Adjudication Division (250-RICR-10-00-1)
250-RICR-10-00-1 ACTIVE RULE
These rules are adopted pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws Chapters 42-35, 42-92 and 42-17.7, specifically §§ 42-35-2(a)(2), 42-35-3 and 42-17.7-3(2) for the purpose of assisting the carrying out of the functions, powers and duties assigned to the Department of Environmental Management and the Administrative Adjudication Division of the Department of Environmental Management in R.I. Gen. Laws Chapters 42-17.7 and 42-17.1 and any other provisions of the General Laws conferring jurisdiction upon the Director of the Department and/or the Administrative Adjudication Division. These rules shall become effective twenty (20) days after filing and will govern only Adjudicatory Proceedings Commenced after the effective date.
9.	"Department" means the Department of Environmental Management as created in R.I. Gen. Laws § 42-17.1.
1.	Papers filed in the following manner shall be deemed filed as set forth herein:
a.	Hand-delivery. Papers hand delivered during regular business hours shall be deemed filed on the date of hand-delivery. Papers delivered by hand at times other than during regular business hours shall be deemed filed on the next regular business day when stamped by the clerk of the AAD.
b.	Mailing. Papers deposited in the U.S. Mail shall be deemed filed on the date the papers are postmarked. In the event that no date stamp by the clerk appears, papers shall be deemed filed on the date so postmarked. All papers shall show the date received by AAD.
c.	Electronic transmittal. Papers transmitted by electronic mail or facsimile shall be accepted for filing so long as the original copy is received by the AAD within five (5) days of electronic transmittal and opposing counsel is also transmitted a copy of the pleading by facsimile or electronic transmittal simultaneously as well as provided with a hard copy of the pleading within five (5) days of electronic transmittal.
D.	The notice of hearing shall set forth the burden of proof. In an enforcement hearing, the burden of proof shall be set forth in accordance with § 1.12(C) of this Part of the Rules and Regulations for the Assessment of Administrative Penalties. In a hearing regarding the denial of a permit or variance application by the Department, the burden of proof shall be on the applicant.
E.	If the issues cannot be fully stated in advance of the hearing, they shall be fully stated as soon as practicable. In all cases of delayed statement, or where subsequent amendment of the issues is necessary, sufficient time shall be allowed at the discretion of the AHO after full statement or amendment to afford all parties reasonable opportunity to prepare and present evidence and argument respecting the issues.
F.	Conduct of Hearing
G.	Opening. Except as otherwise required by law, it shall be the usual practice that in proceedings initiated by an application for a license or permit, the party bearing the burden of proof shall open. In hearings resulting from Notices of Violations the Division conducting the investigation or issuing the notice shall open.
H.	Rights of parties. All parties shall have the right to present evidence, cross- examine witnesses, make objections, bring motions and make oral arguments.
I.	Witnesses and Evidence
J.	Documentary evidence included. Documentary evidence may be received in evidence in the form of copies or excerpts.
K.	Administrative notice. Per R.I. Gen Laws § 42-35-10(4), the AHO may take notice of any judicially cognizable facts which may be judicially noticed by the courts of this State, or of generally recognized technical or scientific facts within the Agency's specialized knowledge, only if the parties are notified of the material so noticed and are given an opportunity to contest the facts so noticed. Notice may also be taken of properly adopted rules and regulations adopted by the agencies of this State or Federal agencies.
L.	Subpoenas. In all cases of every nature before the AAD, the clerk and/or AHOs may issue, and the AHOs may vacate, and modify subpoenas requiring the attendance and testimony of witnesses and to compel the production and examination of papers, books, accounts, documents, records, certificates and other legal evidence that may be necessary or proper for the determination and decision of any question before or the discharge of any duty required by law of the said AHO.
M.	Recording and transcripts. Testimony and argument at the hearing shall be recorded electronically or stenographically. Transcripts of the proceedings shall be supplied to any party at his/her own expense upon request to the stenographer. The AHO, within his or her discretion and in order to ensure an accurate record, is authorized to require the appellant to record the hearing stenographically in application matters and the Division in enforcement matters and a certified copy of the transcript shall be provided to the clerk of the AAD.
N.	Correction of transcript. Corrections in the official transcript may be made only to make it conform to the evidence presented at the hearing. Transcript corrections, agreed to by opposing parties, may be incorporated into the record, if and when approved by the AHO, at any time during the hearing, or after the close of evidence. The AHO may call for the submission of proposed corrections and may make disposition thereof at appropriate times during the course of the proceeding.
O.	Contents of records. The record shall, at all reasonable times, be available for inspection by the parties.
P.	Evidence after completion. No evidence shall be admitted after completion of a hearing or after a case submitted on the record, unless otherwise ordered by the AHO.
Q.	Weight of evidence. The weight to be attached to any evidence in the record will rest within the sound discretion of the AHO in accordance with the Rules of Evidence. The AHO may in any case require either party, with appropriate notice to the other party, to submit additional evidence on any matter relevant to the administrative hearing.
R.	Exceptions. Formal exceptions to rulings on evidence and procedure are unnecessary. It is sufficient that a Party, at the time that a ruling is made or sought, makes known his or her objection to such action and his or her grounds therefore.
A.	Decisions. All decisions rendered by an AHO at the conclusion of a hearing shall be in writing and shall comply with the requirements of R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 42-17.7-6 and 42-35-12. Parties shall be notified either in person, or by mail, or electronic transmittal of any order. Included in the final order shall be a separate notice advising the parties of the availability of judicial review, the appeal period and the procedure for filing an appeal, and providing a reference to the statutory authority.
D.	The provision of this Rule shall not preclude settlement of the proceedings in any other manner.
E.	Withdrawal of an NOV by the Division shall terminate the matter before AAD.
F.	Withdrawal of a Request for Hearing by the appellant/respondent shall terminate the matter before the AAD.
B.	Filing procedure. Within thirty (30) days of the conclusion of an adjudicatory proceeding of the Department relating to an enforcement action or order, or to the revocation or suspension of a license or permit, or to any other adjudicatory proceeding as defined in R.I. Gen. Laws § 42-92-2, a respondent may submit a claim to the AHO in the proceeding for litigation expenses pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 42-92 . For purposes of this section, the adjudicatory proceedings are deemed to be concluded on the date a final decision is issued pursuant to § 1.17 of this Part or on the date that a Consent Order is accepted by the AHO pursuant to § 1.18 of this Part. The claim for litigation expenses shall conform to the general filing requirements of § 1.6 of this Part and shall contain a summary of the legal and factual basis for filing the claim.
G.	The foregoing Rules and Regulations, after due notice, are hereby adopted and filed with the Secretary of State to become effective 20 days after filing, in accordance with the provisions of R.I. Gen. Laws Chapters 42-17.7 and 42-35.
Part 1 Rules and Regulations for the Administrative Adjudication Division (250-RICR-10-00-1)
This Technical Revision is being promulgated to correct formatting issues. The indentation and citation format was corrected throughout the document and the paragraph levels were re-labeled in Sections 1.5, 1.16, 1.18, and 1.20. No substantive changes were made.