§ 511. Hearings conducted by examiners

(a) The Board may provide for the appointment of one or more examiners to conduct hearings with respect to any matter properly coming before the Board and to make reports and recommendations to the Board with respect thereto. The Board shall provide for compensation to be paid for services performed as an examiner.

(b) The Board shall adopt rules with regard to hearings to be conducted before examiners. The rules also shall provide procedures for rehearing before the Board and times within which requests for a rehearing must be made. Upon request of an interested party, the Board shall hold a rehearing.

(c) The Board may enter orders based upon the reports and recommendations of its examiners.

(1) If an order grants the request of an applicant and no objection has been made or filed before or during the hearing before the examiner, the order shall be effective immediately.

(2) If an order denies the request of the applicant, in whole or in part, or if a timely protest to the granting of an application is made or filed, the order shall not become effective if a request for rehearing is made; and shall become effective only when either all interested parties have waived their right to rehearing or the time to request a rehearing has expired.

(d) After an order based on a hearing before an examiner has become effective, it shall have the same force and effect as if the hearing had been conducted before the Board. If a timely request for rehearing is made, the Board may deny rehearing or affirm, revoke, or modify the order. (Added 1981, No. 240 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. April 28, 1982.)