(a) There is within the board an Administrative Hearings Office. The board shall administer the Administrative Hearings Office as an independent organizational unit consistent with the role of the Administrative Hearings Office as a neutral, fair, and efficient forum for adjudications. The Administrative Hearings Office shall be overseen by a presiding hearing officer.
(b) The purpose of the Administrative Hearings Office is to provide qualified, impartial hearing officers, to ensure that water rights matters, including water-related cannabis enforcement matters, are resolved in a timely manner, and to provide the board flexibility to assign hearing officers to other matters, such as those involving water right change petitions and other matters concerning water right permits and licenses.
(c) The Administrative Hearings Office shall conduct adjudicative hearings pursuant to this chapter in accordance with Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 11400) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code. Except as otherwise provided in Section 1113 or the regulations of the board, this section does not limit the discretion of the board where Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 11400) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code makes the applicability of a procedure or requirement discretionary.
(Added by Stats. 2018, Ch. 668, Sec. 1. (AB 747) Effective January 1, 2019. Operative July 1, 2019, pursuant to Section 2 of Stats. 2018, Ch. 668.)