2020 -- H 7357 | |
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LC003248 | |
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2020 | |
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A N A C T | |
RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- ADMINISTRATIVE | |
PROCEDURES | |
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Introduced By: Representatives Place, Nardone, Lyle, and Filippi | |
Date Introduced: January 30, 2020 | |
Referred To: House Judiciary | |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
1 | SECTION 1. Chapter 42-35 of the General Laws entitled "Administrative Procedures" is |
2 | hereby amended by adding thereto the following sections: |
3 | 42-35-8.1. License and permit issuance. |
4 | Notwithstanding any other law, in any case in which a license or permit is required prior |
5 | to a person engaging in any constitutionally protected activity, the criteria for the granting or |
6 | denial of that license or permit shall be specified in clear and unambiguous language, and the |
7 | applicant shall be entitled to a review and determination of that permit or license application |
8 | within thirty (30) days or such other time as the legislature shall by law prescribe. The |
9 | determination of what constitutes clear and unambiguous language shall be a judicial question, |
10 | without deference to the legislature or the agency. |
11 | 42-35-8.2. Burden of proof. |
12 | The burden of proof in agency hearings shall be the preponderance of the evidence. |
13 | Notwithstanding any other law, at a hearing on an agency’s denial of a license or permit or a |
14 | denial of an application or request for modification of a license or permit, the agency has the |
15 | burden of persuasion. At a hearing on an agency action to suspend, revoke, terminate, or modify |
16 | on its own initiative material conditions of a license or permit, the agency has the burden of |
17 | persuasion. At a hearing on an agency’s imposition of fees or penalties or any agency compliance |
18 | order, the agency has the burden of persuasion. |
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1 | 42-35-8.3. Deposition testimony. |
2 | On application of a party or the agency and for use as evidence, the hearing officer, |
3 | referee or administrative law judge may permit a deposition to be taken, in the manner and on the |
4 | terms designated by the hearing officer, referee or administrative law judge, of a witness who |
5 | cannot be subpoenaed or who is unable to attend the hearing. Subpoenas for the production of |
6 | documents may be ordered by the hearing officer, referee or administrative law judge if the party |
7 | seeking the discovery demonstrates that the party has reasonable need of the materials being |
8 | sought. All provisions of law compelling a person under subpoena to testify are applicable. |
9 | 42-35-8.4. Motion to disqualify. |
10 | A party may file a motion with the director of the agency to disqualify the hearing |
11 | officer, referee or an administrative law judge from conducting a hearing for bias, prejudice, |
12 | personal interest, or lack of technical expertise necessary for a hearing. |
13 | 42-35-8.5. Issuance of subpoenas and administration of oaths. |
14 | The hearing officer, referee or administrative law judge may issue subpoenas to compel |
15 | the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents. The subpoenas shall be served and, |
16 | on application to the superior court, enforced in the manner provided by law for the service and |
17 | enforcement of subpoenas in civil matters. The hearing officer, referee or administrative law |
18 | judge may administer oaths and affirmations to witnesses. |
19 | SECTION 2. Sections 42-35-9, 42-35-10 and 42-35-15 of the General Laws in Chapter |
20 | 42-35 entitled "Administrative Procedures" are hereby amended to read as follows: |
21 | 42-35-9. Contested cases -- Notice -- Hearing -- Records. |
22 | (a) In any contested case, all parties shall be afforded an opportunity for a hearing after |
23 | reasonable notice. |
24 | (b) The notice shall include: |
25 | (1) A statement of the time, place, and nature of the hearing; |
26 | (2) A statement of the legal authority and jurisdiction under which the hearing is to be |
27 | held; |
28 | (3) A reference to the particular sections of the statutes and rules involved; |
29 | (4) A short and plain statement of the matters inserted. If the agency or other party is |
30 | unable to state the matters in detail at the time the notice is served, the initial notice may be |
31 | limited to a statement of the issues involved and detailed statement shall be furnished. |
32 | (c) Opportunity shall be afforded all parties to be represented by counsel or to proceed |
33 | without counsel and to respond and present evidence and argument on all issues involved. |
34 | (d) Unless precluded by law, informal disposition may be made of any contested case by |
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1 | stipulation, agreed settlement, consent order, or default. |
2 | (e) The record in a contested case shall include: |
3 | (1) All pleadings, motions, intermediate rulings and a verbatim transcript of any |
4 | contested hearing; |
5 | (2) Evidence received or considered; |
6 | (3) A statement of matters officially noticed; |
7 | (4) Questions and offers of proof and rulings thereon; |
8 | (5) Proposed findings and exceptions; |
9 | (6) Any decision, opinion, or report by the officer presiding at the hearing; |
10 | (7) All staff memoranda or data submitted to the hearing officer or members of the |
11 | agency in connection with their consideration of the case. |
12 | (f) Oral proceedings or any part thereof conducted under the provisions of this chapter |
13 | shall be transcribed on request by any party. Stenotypists occupying positions within the state |
14 | service as hearing reporters for any state agency, who report stenographically the proceedings in |
15 | administrative hearings and the taking of depositions in their capacity as reporters for a state |
16 | agency, shall be paid at the rate established by § 8-5-5 from the requesting party; provided, |
17 | however, the state agency shall not be required to compensate the stenotypists for the transcript |
18 | recorded at the agency's expense. |
19 | (g) Findings of fact shall be based exclusively on the evidence and matters officially |
20 | noticed. |
21 | 42-35-10. Rules of evidence -- Official notice Rules of evidence and procedure -- |
22 | Official notice. |
23 | In contested cases: |
24 | (1) Irrelevant, immaterial, or unduly repetitious evidence shall be excluded. The rules of |
25 | evidence and procedure as applied in civil cases in the superior courts of this state shall be |
26 | followed; but, when necessary to ascertain facts not reasonably susceptible of proof under those |
27 | rules, evidence not admissible under those rules may be submitted (except where precluded by |
28 | statute) if it is of a type commonly relied upon by reasonably prudent men and women in the |
29 | conduct of their affairs. Agencies shall give effect to the rules of privilege recognized by law. |
30 | Objections to evidentiary offers may be made and shall be noted in the record. Subject to these |
31 | requirements, when a hearing will be expedited and the interests of the parties will not be |
32 | prejudiced substantially, any part of the evidence may be received in written form; |
33 | (2) Documentary evidence may be received in the form of copies or excerpts, if the |
34 | original is not readily available. Upon request, parties shall be given an opportunity to compare |
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1 | the copy with the original; |
2 | (3) A party may conduct cross examinations required for a full and true disclosure of the |
3 | facts; |
4 | (4) Notice may be taken of judicially cognizable facts. In addition, notice may be taken of |
5 | generally recognized technical or scientific facts within the agency's specialized knowledge; but |
6 | parties shall be notified either before or during the hearing, or by reference in preliminary reports |
7 | or otherwise, of the material noticed, including any staff memoranda or data, and they shall be |
8 | afforded an opportunity to contest the material so noticed. The agency's experience, technical |
9 | competence, and specialized knowledge may be utilized in the evaluation of the evidence. |
10 | 42-35-15. Judicial review of contested cases. |
11 | (a) Any person, including any small business, who has exhausted all administrative |
12 | remedies available to him or her within the agency, and who is aggrieved by a final order in a |
13 | contested case is entitled to judicial review under this chapter. This section does not limit |
14 | utilization of or the scope of judicial review available under other means of review, redress, relief, |
15 | or trial de novo provided by law. Any preliminary, procedural, or intermediate agency act or |
16 | ruling is immediately reviewable in any case in which review of the final agency order would not |
17 | provide an adequate remedy. |
18 | (b) Proceedings for review are instituted by filing a complaint in the superior court of |
19 | Providence County or in the superior court in the county in which the cause of action arose, or |
20 | where expressly provided by the general laws in the sixth division of the district court or family |
21 | court of Providence County, within thirty (30) days after mailing notice of the final decision of |
22 | the agency or, if a rehearing is requested, within thirty (30) days after the decision thereon; |
23 | provided, however, that any person who is aggrieved by a final order concerning the assessment |
24 | or determination of any tax, interest, or penalty made by the tax administrator must pay the |
25 | amount of the tax, interest, or penalty to the administrator as a prerequisite to the filing of such |
26 | complaint. Copies of the complaint shall be served upon the agency and all other parties of record |
27 | in the manner prescribed by applicable procedural rules within ten (10) days after it is filed in |
28 | court; provided, however, that the time for service may be extended for good cause by order of |
29 | the court. |
30 | (c) The filing of the complaint does not itself stay enforcement of the agency order. The |
31 | agency may grant, or the reviewing court may order, a stay upon the appropriate terms. |
32 | (d) Within thirty (30) days after the service of the complaint, or within further time |
33 | allowed by the court, the agency shall transmit to the reviewing court the original or a certified |
34 | copy of the entire record of the proceeding under review. By stipulation of all parties to the |
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1 | review proceedings, the record may be shortened. Any party unreasonably refusing to stipulate to |
2 | limit the record may be taxed by the court for the additional costs. The court may require or |
3 | permit subsequent corrections or additions to the record. |
4 | (e) If, before the date set for the hearing, application is made to the court for leave to |
5 | present additional evidence, and it is shown to the satisfaction of the court that the additional |
6 | evidence is material and that there were good reasons for failure to present it in the proceeding |
7 | before the agency, the court may order that the additional evidence be taken before the agency |
8 | upon conditions determined by the court. The agency may modify its findings and decision by |
9 | reason of the additional evidence and shall file that evidence and any modifications, new findings, |
10 | or decisions with the reviewing court. |
11 | (f) The review shall be conducted by the court without a jury and shall be confined to the |
12 | record. The court shall decide de novo all relevant questions of law, including the interpretation |
13 | of constitutional, statutory, and regulatory provisions, unless the parties stipulate otherwise. In |
14 | cases of alleged irregularities in procedure before the agency, not shown in the record, proof |
15 | thereon may be taken in the court. The court, upon request, shall hear oral argument and receive |
16 | written briefs. |
17 | (g) The court shall not substitute its judgment for that of the agency as to the weight of |
18 | the evidence on questions of fact. The court may affirm the decision of the agency or remand the |
19 | case for further proceedings, or it may reverse or modify the decision if substantial rights of the |
20 | appellant have been prejudiced because the administrative findings, inferences, conclusions, or |
21 | decisions are: |
22 | (1) In violation of constitutional or statutory provisions; |
23 | (2) In excess of the statutory authority of the agency; |
24 | (3) Made upon unlawful procedure; |
25 | (4) Affected by other error of law; |
26 | (5) Clearly erroneous in view of the reliable, probative, and substantial evidence on the |
27 | whole record; or |
28 | (6) Arbitrary or capricious or characterized by abuse of discretion or clearly unwarranted |
29 | exercise of discretion. |
30 | SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. |
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LC003248 | |
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EXPLANATION | |
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL | |
OF | |
A N A C T | |
RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- ADMINISTRATIVE | |
PROCEDURES | |
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1 | This act would provide that the burden of proof in an administrative hearing is by a |
2 | preponderance of the evidence. The act would allow hearing officers to issue subpoenas; |
3 | authorize the use of deposition testimony; and mandate that superior court rules of evidence and |
4 | procedure be utilized. On appeal, issues of law would be decided de novo. |
5 | This act would take effect upon passage. |
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LC003248 | |
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