LAC 67:III.331. Hearing Official

A. Hearings shall be conducted by an impartial official(s) who: 1. does not have a personal involvement in the case; 2. was not directly involved in the initial determination of the action which is being contested; and 3. was not the immediate supervisor of the worker who took the action. B. The hearing official shall be: 1. an individual under contract with the Department of Children and Family Services. C. The hearing official shall: 1. administer oaths or affirmations; 2. insure that all relevant issues are considered; 3. request, receive and make part of the record all evidence determined necessary to decide the issues; 4. regulate the conduct and course of the hearing consistent with due process to insure an orderly hearing; 5. order, where relevant and useful, an independent medical assessment or professional evaluation from a source mutually satisfactory to the household and the Department of Children and Family Services; 6. provide a hearing record and recommendation for final decision by the hearing authority; or, if the hearing official is the hearing authority, render a hearing decision in the name of the Department of Children and Family Services which will resolve the dispute.