ORS 183.625: Assignment of administrative law judges; conduct of hearings.

(1) In assigning an administrative law judge to conduct hearings on behalf of an agency, the chief administrative law judge shall, whenever practicable, assign an administrative law judge that has expertise in the legal issues or general subject matter of the proceeding. (2) Notwithstanding any other provision of state law, any agency that is required to use administrative law judges assigned from the Office of Administrative Hearings to conduct hearings must delegate responsibility for the conduct of the hearing to an administrative law judge assigned from the Office of Administrative Hearings, and the hearing may not be conducted by the administrator, director, board, commission or other person or body charged with administering the agency. (3) Any agency may authorize an administrative law judge assigned to conduct a hearing on behalf of the agency under this section to enter a final order for the agency. (4) An agency that is not required to use administrative law judges assigned from the office may contract with the chief administrative law judge for the assignment of an administrative law judge from the office for the purpose of conducting one or more contested cases on behalf of the agency. [1999 c.849 §7; 2003 c.75 §6]