(a) General rule. The ALJ may impose sanctions when any party or
person in an adjudicatory proceeding under this part has failed to
comply with an applicable statute, regulation, or order, and that
failure to comply:
(1) Constitutes contemptuous conduct;
(2) Materially injures
or prejudices another party in terms of substantive injury, incurring
additional expenses including attorney’s fees, prejudicial delay,
or otherwise;
(3) Is
a clear and unexcused violation of an applicable statute, regulation,
or order; or
(4) Unduly
delays the proceeding.
(b) Sanctions. Sanctions which may be imposed
include any one or more of the following:
(1) Issuing an order against the party;
(2) Rejecting or striking
any testimony or documentary evidence offered, or other papers filed,
by the party;
(3) Precluding
the party from:
(i) Contesting specific issues or findings;
(ii) Offering certain
evidence or challenging or contesting certain evidence offered by
another party; or
(iii) Making a late filing or conditioning a late filing on any terms
that are just;
(4) Assessing reasonable expenses, including
attorney’s fees, incurred by any other party as a result of
the improper action or failure to act; and
(5) Excluding or suspending a party or
person from the adjudicatory proceeding.
(c) Procedure for imposition of sanctions.
(1) Upon the motion of any
party, or on the ALJ’s own motion, the ALJ may impose sanctions
in accordance with this section. The ALJ must submit to the Board
for final ruling the sanction of entering a final order determining
the case on the merits.
(2) No sanction authorized by this section, other than refusal to
accept late filings, must be imposed without prior notice to all parties
and an opportunity for any party or person against whom sanctions
would be imposed to be heard. Such opportunity to be heard may be
on such notice, and the response may be in such form, as the ALJ directs.
The ALJ may limit the opportunity to be heard to an opportunity of
a party or person to respond orally immediately after the act or inaction
covered by this section is noted by the ALJ.
(3) Requests for the imposition of sanctions
by any party, and the imposition of sanctions, are subject to interlocutory
review in the same manner as any other ruling by the ALJ.
(d) Section not exclusive. Nothing in this section precludes the ALJ or the Board from taking
any other action, or imposing any restriction or sanction, authorized
by applicable statute or regulation.