Sec. 102.006. ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS IN CONTESTED CASES. (a) The railroad commission by rule shall provide for administrative hearings in contested cases to be conducted by one or more members of the railroad commission, by railroad commission hearings examiners, or by the State Office of Administrative Hearings. The rules must provide for a railroad commission hearings examiner or the State Office of Administrative Hearings to conduct each hearing in a contested case that is not conducted by one or more members of the railroad commission. A hearing must be conducted in accordance with the rules and procedures adopted by the railroad commission.

(b) The railroad commission may delegate to a railroad commission hearings examiner or to the State Office of Administrative Hearings the authority to make a final decision and to issue findings of fact, conclusions of law, and other necessary orders in a proceeding in which there is not a contested issue of fact or law.

(c) The railroad commission by rule shall define the procedures by which it delegates final decision-making authority under Subsection (b) to a railroad commission hearings examiner or to the State Office of Administrative Hearings.

(d) For purposes of judicial review, the final decision of a railroad commission hearings examiner or an administrative law judge of the State Office of Administrative Hearings in a matter delegated under Subsection (b) has the same effect as a final decision of the railroad commission unless a member of the commission requests formal review of the decision.

(e) The State Office of Administrative Hearings shall charge the railroad commission a fixed annual rate for hearings conducted by the office under this section only if the legislature appropriates money for that purpose. If the legislature does not appropriate money for the payment of a fixed annual rate under this section, the State Office of Administrative Hearings shall charge the railroad commission an hourly rate set by the office under Section 2003.024(a), Government Code, for hearings conducted by the office under this section.

Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1233, Sec. 64, eff. Sept. 1, 2001. Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 200, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.

Amended by:

Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 228 (H.B. 2154), Sec. 25, eff. September 1, 2015.