(a) The department and the chief administrative law judge of the State Office of Administrative Hearings shall enter into a memorandum of understanding under which the State Office of Administrative Hearings, on behalf of the department, conducts all contested case hearings authorized or required by law to be conducted under this title by the department under the administrative procedure law, Chapter 2001, Government Code.
(b) The memorandum of understanding shall require the chief administrative law judge, the department, and the executive commissioner to cooperate in connection with a contested case hearing and may authorize the State Office of Administrative Hearings to perform any administrative act, including giving of notice, that is required to be performed by the department or commissioner of aging and disability services.

(c) The memorandum of understanding shall address whether the administrative law judge who conducts a contested case hearing for the State Office of Administrative Hearings on behalf of the department shall:
(1) enter the final decision in the case after completion of the hearing; or
(2) propose a decision to the department or the commissioner of aging and disability services for final consideration.
(d) The department by interagency contract shall reimburse the State Office of Administrative Hearings for the costs incurred in conducting contested case hearings for the department. The department may pay an hourly fee for the costs of conducting those hearings or a fixed annual fee negotiated biennially by the department and the State Office of Administrative Hearings to coincide with the department’s legislative appropriations request.
(e) Repealed by Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1, Sec. 4.465(a)(23), eff. April 2, 2015.