16 CSR 20-3.020
Appointment of Hearing Officers
PURPOSE: This rule establishes a mechanism of automatic
appointment of hearing officers.
(1) Hearings may be conducted by a hearing officer. The
executive director shall appoint hearing officers to conduct
hearings required by statute and regulation from a list of
attorneys approved by the board of trustees.
(2) Any hearing officer included on the list shall—
(A) Be licensed to practice law in the State of Missouri and in
good standing with The Missouri Bar;
(B) Complete an application for appointment on a form
furnished by Missouri LAGERS;
(C) Agree to the LAGERS policies and procedures as determined by the executive director; and
(D) Be approved by the board of trustees.
(3) Each hearing officer approved by the board of trustees will
be assigned a number, beginning at one (1).
(4) Hearing officers shall be included in the panel at the
pleasure of the board of trustees for a fixed term unless they
resign from service before their termination or the expiration
of their term.
(5) Hearing officers will be appointed to cases by the executive
director in the order they appear on the list. The hearing officer
listed first on the list will be appointed to the first case, the
hearing officer listed second on the list will be appointed to the
next case, and this shall be repeated until all hearing officers
have been appointed to cases or otherwise skipped. Then, the
appointment shall begin again with the first hearing officer. If
a hearing officer is unable to serve for any reason, including a
conflict, the next hearing officer on the list shall be assigned
the case.
(6) All remaining hearing officers shall move up in order on the
list to fill the vacancy upon the resignation or termination of
a hearing officer.
(7) Newly appointed hearing officers shall be assigned to the
end of the list.
(8) Nothing in this rule shall prohibit the board of trustees
from conducting a hearing without a hearing officer, nor shall
it prohibit the board of trustees from directly appointing a
hearing officer, whether they are a member of the panel or not,
to conduct a hearing in a particular matter.
AUTHORITY: section 70.605, RSMo 2016.* Original rule filed July
14, 2025, effective Feb. 28, 2026.
*Original authority: 70.605, RSMo 1967, amended 1974, 1992, 2000, 2003, 2013.