(1)(a) The Governor shall appoint a person to serve as chief administrative law judge for the Office of Administrative Hearings. The appointment of the chief administrative law judge is subject to confirmation by the Senate in the manner prescribed in ORS § 171.562 and 171.565.

(b) At the time of appointment, the chief administrative law judge must be an active member of the Oregon State Bar with at least one year of employment experience in administrative law or administrative hearings. Within six months after the appointment, the chief administrative law judge must meet all qualifications required of an administrative law judge under ORS § 183.615.

(c) The Governor shall consider recommendations by the Office of Administrative Hearings Oversight Committee in appointing or reappointing a chief administrative law judge.

(d) The chief administrative law judge has all the powers necessary and convenient to organize and manage the office. Subject to the State Personnel Relations Law, the chief administrative law judge shall employ all persons necessary for the administration of the office, prescribe the duties of those employees and fix their compensation.

(e) The chief administrative law judge shall serve for a term of four years.

(f) Upon a vacancy or expected vacancy in the office of chief administrative law judge, the Governor shall notify the Office of Administrative Hearings Oversight Committee and the Oregon State Bar of the vacancy and direct the Employment Department, in coordination with the oversight committee, to conduct a public candidate search, recruitment and application process to assist the oversight committee in making recommendations to the Governor to fill the vacancy. The Governor may appoint an acting chief administrative law judge until the vacancy is filled.

(g) Notwithstanding ORS § 236.140, the Governor may remove the chief administrative law judge only for cause, but the Governor may decline to reappoint the chief administrative law judge at the end of the four-year term without cause.

(2) The chief administrative law judge shall employ administrative law judges. The chief administrative law judge shall ensure that administrative law judges employed for the office receive all training necessary to meet the standards required under the program created under ORS § 183.680.

(3) The chief administrative law judge shall take all actions necessary to protect and ensure the independence of each administrative law judge assigned from the office. [1999 c.849 § 4; 2003 c.75 § 3; 2009 c.866 § 1; 2023 c.52 § 1]