§ 385.708 Initial decisions by presiding officer (Rule 708).

(a) Applicability. This section applies to any proceeding in which a presiding officer, other than the Commission, presided over the reception of the evidence. (b) General rule. (1) Except as otherwise ordered by the Commission or provided in paragraph (b)(2) of this section, the presiding officer will prepare a written initial decision. (2)(i) If time and circumstances require, the presiding officer may issue an order stating that an oral initial decision will be issued. (ii) An oral decision is considered served upon all participants when the decision is issued orally on the record. Promptly after service of the oral decision, the presiding officer will prepare the oral initial decision contained in the transcript in the format of a written initial decision. (3) Any initial decision prepared under paragraph (b)(1) or (b)(2) of this section will be certified to the Commission by the presiding officer with a copy of the record in the proceeding. (4) Not later than 35 days after the certification of an initial decision, under paragraph (b)(3) of this section, the presiding officer, after notifying the participants and receiving no objection from them, may make technical corrections to the initial decision. (c) Initial decision prepared and certified by presiding officer. (1) The presiding officer who presides over the reception of evidence will prepare and certify the initial decision, if any, unless the officer is unavailable or the Commission provides otherwise in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 557(b). (2) If the presiding officer who presided over the reception of evidence becomes unavailable, the Chief Administrative Law Judge may issue an order designating another qualified presiding officer to prepare and certify the initial decision. (d) Finality of initial decision. For purposes of requests for rehearing under Rule 713, an initial decision becomes a final Commission decision 10 days after exceptions are due under Rule 711 unless: (1) Exceptions are timely filed under Rule 711; or (2) The Commission issues an order staying the effectiveness of the decision pending review under Rule 712.