OAR 137-003-0615: Judicial Notice and Official Notice of Facts

(1) The administrative law judge may take notice of judicially cognizable facts on the record before issuance of the proposed order or in the proposed order or, if the administrative law judge has authority to issue a final order without first issuing a proposed order, before the final order is issued. The agency or party(ies) may present rebuttal evidence. (2) The administrative law judge may take official notice of general, technical or scientific facts within the specialized knowledge of the administrative law judge. (a) If the administrative law judge takes official notice of general, technical or scientific facts, the administrative law judge shall provide such notice to the parties and the agency, if the agency is participating in the contested case hearing, before the issuance of the proposed order or, if the administrative law judge has authority to issue a final order without first issuing a proposed order, before the final order is issued. (b) The agency or a party may object or may present rebuttal evidence in response to the administrative law judge's official notice of general, technical or scientific facts. (c) If an objection is made or if rebuttal evidence is presented, the administrative law judge shall rule before the issuance of the proposed order or in the proposed order or, if the administrative law judge has authority to issue a final order, in the final order on whether the noticed facts will be considered as evidence in the proceeding. (3) Before the issuance of the proposed order or a final order issued by an administrative law judge, the agency may take notice of judicially cognizable facts and may take official notice of general, technical or scientific facts within the specialized knowledge of the agency as follows: (a) The agency shall provide notice of judicially cognizable facts or official notice of general, technical or scientific facts in writing to the administrative law judge and parties to the hearing. (b) A party may present rebuttal evidence in response to agency notice of judicially cognizable facts or official notice of general, technical or scientific facts. (c) If a party presents rebuttal evidence, the administrative law judge shall rule on whether the noticed facts will be considered as evidence in the proceeding. (4) After the issuance of a proposed order, the agency may take notice of judicially cognizable facts and may take official notice of general, technical or scientific facts within the specialized knowledge of the agency as follows: (a) The agency shall provide notice of judicially cognizable facts or official notice of general, technical or scientific facts in writing to the parties to the hearing and, if authorized to issue a final order, to the administrative law judge. (b) A party may object in writing to agency notice of judicially cognizable facts or official notice of general, technical or scientific facts with service on any other parties, the agency and, if authorized to issue a final order, on the administrative law judge in the manner required by OAR 137-003-0520. A party may request that the agency or, if authorized to issue a final order, the administrative law judge provide an opportunity for the party to present written or non-written rebuttal evidence. (c) The agency may request the administrative law judge to conduct further hearing proceedings under OAR 137-003-0655 as necessary to permit a party to present rebuttal evidence. (d) If a party presents rebuttal evidence, the agency or, if authorized to issue a final order, the administrative law judge shall rule in the final order on whether the noticed facts were considered as evidence.