(a) The agency upon the agency’s motion may, and where provided by federal law or upon appeal by any party shall, review an initial order, except to the extent that:
(1) A statute or rule of the agency precludes or limits agency review of the initial order; or(2) The agency in the exercise of discretion conferred by statute or rule of the agency:
(A) Determines to review some but not all issues, or not to exercise any review;(B) Delegates its authority to review the initial order to one (1) or more persons; or(C) Authorizes one (1) or more persons to review the initial order, subject to further review by the agency.(b) A petition for appeal from an initial order shall be filed with the agency, or with any person designated for such purpose by rule of the agency, within fifteen (15) days after entry of the initial order. If the agency on its own motion decides to review an initial order, the agency shall give written notice of its intention to review the initial order within fifteen (15) days after its entry. The fifteen-day period for a party to file a petition for appeal or for the agency to give notice of its intention to review an initial order on the agency’s own motion shall be tolled by the submission of a timely petition for reconsideration of the initial order pursuant to § 4-5-317, and a new fifteen-day period shall start to run upon disposition of the petition for reconsideration. If an initial order is subject both to a timely petition for reconsideration and to a petition for appeal or to review by the agency on its own motion, the petition for reconsideration shall be disposed of first, unless the agency determines that action on the petition for reconsideration has been unreasonably delayed.(c) The petition for appeal shall state its basis. If the agency on its own motion gives notice of its intent to review an initial order, the agency shall identify the issues that it intends to review.(d) The person reviewing an initial order shall exercise all the decision-making power that the agency would have had to render a final order had the agency presided over the hearing, except to the extent that the issues subject to review are limited by rule or statute or by the agency upon notice to all parties.(e) The agency shall afford each party an opportunity to present briefs and may afford each party an opportunity to present oral argument.(f) Before rendering a final order, the agency may cause a transcript to be prepared, at the agency’s expense, of such portions of the proceeding under review as the agency considers necessary.(g) The agency may render a final order disposing of the proceeding or may remand the matter for further proceedings with instructions to the person who rendered the initial order. Upon remanding a matter, the agency may order such temporary relief as is authorized and appropriate.(h) A final order or an order remanding the matter for further proceedings pursuant to this section shall be rendered and entered in writing within sixty (60) days after receipt of briefs and oral argument, unless that period is waived or extended with the written consent of all parties or for good cause shown.(i) A final order or an order remanding the matter for further proceedings under this section shall identify any difference between such order and the initial order, and shall include, or incorporate by express reference to the initial order, all the matters required by § 4-5-314(c).(j) The agency shall cause copies of the final order or order remanding the matter for further proceedings to be delivered to each party and to the administrative judge or hearing officer who conducted the contested case.
