Opinion ID: 1573456
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Department's Right to Appeal.

Text: The crux of Ramsey's statutory argument is that Iowa Code section 321J.13 grants a right of appeal from the decision of the ALJ only to the licensee, not to the DOT. That section states: 3. After the hearing the department shall order that the revocation be either rescinded or sustained. If the revocation is sustained, the administrative law judge who conducted the hearing may issue a temporary restricted license to the person whose motor vehicle license or operating privilege was revoked. Upon receipt of the decision of the department to sustain a revocation, the person contesting the revocation has ten days to file a request for review of the decision by the director. The director or the director's designee shall review the decision within fifteen days and shall either rescind or sustain the revocation or order a new hearing. If the director orders a new hearing, the department shall grant the person a new hearing within thirty days of the director's order. Iowa Code § 321J.13(3) (emphasis added). Ramsey argues the section should be so interpreted because it would be ludicrous to provide the DOT with a right of appeal to itself. Further, Ramsey contends the legislature intended that only the licensee had a right to appeal the decision of the ALJ. Any administrative rules to the contrary, Ramsey argues, are void as being in contravention of this statute. The DOT argues that the appeal rights are controlled by the provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act, Iowa Code section 17A.15. That section provides: 1. When the agency presides at the reception of the evidence in a contested case, the decision of the agency is a final decision. 2. When the agency did not preside at the reception of the evidence in a contested case, the presiding officer shall make a proposed decision. Findings of fact shall be prepared by the officer presiding at the reception of the evidence in a contested case unless the officer becomes unavailable to the agency. If the officer is unavailable, the findings of fact may be prepared by another person qualified to be a presiding officer who has read the record, unless demeanor of witnesses is a substantial factor. If demeanor is a substantial factor and the presiding officer is unavailable, the portions of the hearing involving demeanor shall be heard again or the case shall be dismissed. 3. When the presiding officer makes a proposed decision, that decision then becomes the final decision of the agency without further proceedings unless there is an appeal to, or review on motion of, the agency within the time provided by rule. On appeal from or review of the proposed decision, the agency has all the power which it would have in initially making the final decision except as it may limit the issues on notice to the parties or by rule. In cases where there is an appeal from a proposed decision or where a proposed decision is reviewed on motion of the agency, an opportunity shall be afforded to each party to file exceptions, present briefs and, with the consent of the agency, present oral arguments to the agency members who are to render the final decision. The DOT's position is that subsection one does not apply because an ALJ presided at the initial hearing, not the agency. Thus, the decision was not final. Under subsection two, the presiding officer (here the ALJ) makes a proposed decision which is not final. Appeal rights from the decision are then provided to both the licensee and the DOT by subsection three. The right of review provided to the DOT is contained in the statutory language where a proposed decision is reviewed on motion of the agency. Iowa Administrative Code rule 761-620.4(2) amplifies this right, the DOT argues, by stating: Appeal of an administrative law judge's decision. A decision by an administrative law judge shall become the final decision of the department and shall be binding on the department and the person who requested the hearing unless either appeals the decision in accordance with this subrule. Our review convinces us that the DOT's interpretation of these statutes is correct and we so hold. Iowa Code section 17A.15(3) expresses an intent by the legislature to allow the DOT to seek review of a proposed decision. The district court is affirmed on this issue.