52:14B-2 Definitions.

2. As used in this act:

"Administrative adjudication" or "adjudication" includes any and every final determination, decision, or order made or rendered in any contested case.

"Administrative rule" or "rule," when not otherwise modified, means each agency statement of general applicability and continuing effect that implements or interprets law or policy, or describes the organization, procedure or practice requirements of any agency. The term includes the amendment or repeal of any rule, but does not include: (1) statements concerning the internal management or discipline of any agency; (2) intra-agency and inter-agency statements; and (3) agency decisions and findings in contested cases.

"Contested case" means a proceeding, including any licensing proceeding, in which the legal rights, duties, obligations, privileges, benefits or other legal relations of specific parties are required by constitutional right or by statute to be determined by an agency by decisions, determinations, or orders, addressed to them or disposing of their interests, after opportunity for an agency hearing, but shall not include any proceeding in the Division of Taxation, Department of the Treasury, which is reviewable de novo by the Tax Court.

"Director" means the Director and Chief Administrative Law Judge of the Office of Administrative Law, unless otherwise indicated by context.

"Electronic mailing list " means a computer program that allows agency website visitors, at their discretion, to subscribe to, or unsubscribe from, an e-mail discussion group or e-mail mailing list controlled by the agency, and which program enables the agency to automatically send e-mail messages to multiple e-mail addresses on the user-generated subscriber list.

"Head of the agency" means and includes the individual or group of individuals constituting the highest authority within any agency authorized or required by law to render an adjudication in a contested case.

"License" includes the whole or part of any agency license, permit, certificate, approval, chapter, registration or other form of permission required by law.

"Secretary" means the Secretary of State.

"State agency" or "agency" shall include each of the principal departments in the executive branch of the State Government, and all boards, divisions, commissions, agencies, departments, councils, authorities, offices or officers within any such departments now existing or hereafter established and authorized by statute to make, adopt or promulgate rules or adjudicate contested cases, except the office of the Governor.

"URL address" means a Uniform Resource Locator address, which is used for the purposes of Internet navigation and is commonly referred to as a website link, and which uses a protocol, such as "http", and a domain name to identify, and provide website visitors with direct access to, a particular Internet file or website page.

L.1968, c.410, s.2; amended 1980, c.166; 1981, c.27, s.10; 1981, c.511, s.21; 1993, c.343, s.1; 2013, c.259, s.1.