Iowa Administrative Code › Agency 811 - Veterinary Medicine Board › Chapter 10 - Discipline › Rule 811-10.32 - Ex Parte Communication

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 3, July 24, 2024
(1)
			 Prohibited communications. Unless required for the disposition of ex parte
			 matters specifically authorized by statute, following issuance of the notice of
			 hearing, there shall be no communication, directly or indirectly, between the
			 presiding officer and any party or representative of any party or any other
			 person with a direct or indirect interest in such case in connection with any
			 issue of fact or law in the case, except upon notice and opportunity for all
			 parties to participate. This does not prohibit persons jointly assigned such
			 tasks from communicating with each other Nothing in this provision is intended
			 to preclude the presiding officer from communicating with members of the agency
			 or seeking the advice or help of persons other than those with a personal
			 interest in, or those engaged in personally investigating as defined in subrule
			 10.20(2), prosecuting, or advocating in, either the case under consideration or
			 a pending factually related case involving the same parties, as long as those
			 persons do not directly or indirectly communicate to the presiding officer any
			 ex parte communications they have received of a type that the presiding officer
			 would be prohibited from receiving or that furnish, augment, diminish, or
			 modify the evidence in the record.
(2) Prohibitions on ex parte communications
			 commence with the issuance of the notice of hearing in a contested case and
			 continue for as long as the case is pending.
(3) Written, oral or other forms of
			 communication are "ex parte" if made without notice and opportunity for all
			 parties to participate.
(4) To
			 avoid prohibited ex parte communications notice must be given in a manner
			 reasonably calculated to give all parties a fair opportunity to participate.
			 Notice of written communications shall be provided in compliance with rule
			 10.23(17A) and may be supplemented by telephone, facsimile. E-mail or other
			 means of notification. Where permitted, oral communications may be initiated
			 through telephone conference call, which includes all parties or their
			 representatives.
(5) Persons who
			 jointly act as presiding officer in a pending contested case may communicate
			 with each other without notice or opportunity for parties to
			 participate.
(6) The executive
			 secretary or other persons may be present in deliberations or otherwise advise
			 the presiding officer without notice or opportunity for parties to participate
			 as long as they are not disqualified from participating in the making of a
			 proposed or final decision under subrule 10.20(1) or other law and they comply
			 with subrule 10.32(1).
(7)
			 Communications with the presiding officer involving scheduling or uncontested
			 procedural matters do not require notice or opportunity for parties to
			 participate. A party should notify other parties prior to initiating such
			 contact with the presiding officer when feasible, and shall notify other
			 parties when seeking to continue hearings or other deadlines pursuant to rule
			 10.29(17A).
(8) Disclosure of
			 prohibited communications. A presiding officer who received a prohibited ex
			 parte communication during the pendency of a contested case must initially
			 determine if the effect of the communication is so prejudicial that the
			 presiding officer should be disqualified. If the presiding officer determines
			 that disqualification is warranted, a copy of any prohibited written
			 communication, all written responses to the communication, a written summary
			 stating the substance of any prohibited oral or other communication not
			 available in written form for disclosure, all responses made, and the identity
			 of each person from whom the presiding officer received a prohibited ex parte
			 communication shall be submitted for inclusion in the record under seal by
			 protective order If the presiding officer determines that disqualification is
			 not warranted, such documents shall be submitted for inclusion in the record
			 and served on all parties. Any party desiring to rebut the prohibited
			 communication must be allowed the opportunity to do so upon written request
			 filed within ten days after notice of the communication.
(9) Promptly after being assigned to serve as
			 presiding officer on a hearing panel, as a member of a full board hearing, on
			 an intra-agency appeal, or other basis, a presiding officer shall disclose to
			 all parties material factual information received through ex parte
			 communication prior to such assignment, unless the factual information has
			 already been or shortly will be disclosed pursuant to Iowa Code section
			 17A.13(2)
			  or through discovery. Factual information
			 contained in an investigative report or similar document need not be separately
			 disclosed by the presiding officer as long as such documents have been or will
			 shortly be provided to the parties.
(10) The presiding officer may render a
			 proposed or final decision imposing appropriate sanctions for violations of
			 this rule including default, a decision against the offending party, censure,
			 or suspension or revocation of the privilege to practice before the agency.
			 Violation of ex parte communication prohibitions by agency personnel shall be
			 reported to the board's executive secretary for possible sanctions including:
			 censure, suspension, dismissal, or other disciplinary action.