Case Information
*1 QBffice of ttje Igttornep QSenerat
Bttatr af nxae DAN MORALES June 24,1993 Al-rORNEY GENERAL
Mr. Fred S. Bhkky, Jr., RX. Opinion No. DM-23 1 E Directorkcretwy Re: Whether a quorm ofa licensing hoard
TexasStateBoardofPbarmacy attend@ a ticcttsee disciplimy hauing 8505 Cross Park Drive, Suite 110 hstio,Texas 787544594 conducted by the state OJLECC of AdWlWWCHWfitlgSlMyUlfkCtilldhgS
of f&t, conclllsions of law, and vote on discipline without lec&ng &out the state of3iceof-Hearingsapropoatll for decision (RQ-408) Dar Mr. Brinkley:
ThelegblamctwtedtheSOAHin1991by~SulateBiu884. SeeActs 1991,72d Leg., ch. 591, at 2127-28 (codified V.T.C.S. article 6252-130. The I~ d~~theSOAHtoconduct~~~incomeotedcasaundatbc Admmwaw Procedure and Texas Rqister Act (IAP’llU”). V.T.C.S. article 6252-13~
thatmbcfon~clgency~doesnotemployaparonwhosesoledutyistopresideas~a harings officer over matters related to wntestcd cases hefore the agencyP V.T.C.S. art. 652513$5 2(h). The k@latwe hoped that the implawntation of Senate Bii 884 would accomplish at least two purposes. Fii the legishue hoped to incraw economic eakimcy by pooling the resources of smaller agaGes that are unable to employ iilll-time *2 Mr. Fred S. Brbkky, Jr., R.Ph. - Page 2 (Un-231)
adamsmmlawjudgea. Sewnd,thcl~hopedtocrrrtcm-
judk+ifldqmdentoftheagencythatcouldhalrobjcciively-dispPrtes.
Heatiqs on Senate Bill 884 Before the Senate Comm. on State Af&rs (Apr. 8,lWl) (tudmony of Senator l&&or& author) (tape available ti Samte Staff Savices).
Among other thinga, Senate Bill 884 added article 6252-I3f to the Revised Cii htutea. Scr Acts 1991.72d Leg., ch. 591,@ l-4 at 2127-28. Section 3(b) ofatticle 6252-13f at&or&s an ad&katk lawjudm to parform the Mowing kstiomz
(3) Nlewquati~ofsvidara;
(4)k3ueonksfdatiagtodiscovaryaadotilerbenriogor lsdmrhg~incJudingordersbnposingsanctionstllattllc age.ncythatthecomtaluaeiabeforemayimpo~albjectto reviewbytheagenqy and
(5) issueproposalsiixdecisionthatin&deiindiqaoftbctmd amclusi~oflaw.
.!hdwStateOf6ceofA’ “. ‘keHem@a, 17Tex.Re&644243(1992)(tok cod&d at 1 TALC. 85 155.15(b), 155.51). You bokve that this provkm aterdy admizu,hutdoe3notrequ&anadt&WahlawjudgefbrtheSOAHtoiasuea propoulfbrdecisionand-nrpporclyourwntwdontbattbeboardnmytnakeita own6ndingsoffhctandconddonaoflawafter~a~onadbciplisrry
matterbeforethesoAH. Howevcr,theplainlaquagcofotha~L?fSalatcBin 884, as well as the bill’s IegiWve history, indicates that the legkkure intended the SOAHtomake6ndingaofiictandconcllmiolmoflawottmzuterabeforek Theagency XWpOd&tbC~kwjUdge'S~8Udcondurionr,bUt~bl
c4xnpliaucewiththe~statedillSumteBiu884.
APTl&aswdlastllerulesofpncdceandpmwdurebefbretbebw4gownr laydisciplinary~ontheboudtalresundaraction26oftheTaarP~Ad.
V.T.C.S. tide 4542a-1. V.T.C.S. art. 4542e-1.0 27. Sennte BiU 884 added to APTRA aection 13(j). which provides as follows:
This subsection applies only to an ndminiararivs law judge employedbytheStateOfiiceofAdministrativeHwtings. The lldnnmstratnnlawjudgewhoconductsthehcatiagshallconsiderany applicable agenq n&s or policies in conducting the hearing, but rnqY nolbrsuprrvisdby~~agrncyuVrrthrcoatrsledccwisbrfopr. TheagmcystmllprovidetheadmbUa&lawjudgcwithawrincn statanent of applicable rules or policies. An wv q mr q *3 Mr. Fred S. Brinldey. Jr., RPh. - Page 3 (m-231)
~ilwzingprocess: theajp%cymustprovidetheadmi&&velawjudgewitll awritten~ofrulerorpoliciarit~-rrenlevanttothcorrte3tedg#(sn
&oStateOEccofM “. tiveHear+s,17Te~Reg.6441(1992)(tobecodi6edat 1 T.A.C. 0 155.5(c)); the agency may present evidence and legal aqumatt to the . . .
Thclq&tivehistoryofSenateBiU884sqportsourdct~ Amanber oftbecommitteetbatd&edSenateBill884tati&dheforetheHouscComt&aon StateAGrsthattlteumlminahadtriedto~rbilraa~thepowsnofthe agwcyaKlthesoAH. Hearingsws.B.884B&rctbeHouseCormnonstate~ (Mry6.1991)(tcrthnoayofReggieJpnes,~colrnmvnUllion)(trpe available i+om House Committee Coo&ator). Section S(b) of tha big whirb added tectiw13(i)toApTRA,~culateJthc~thecormnineercnrcl:tbesoAHis ~~lefor~~~gtotheagcncy~~offact~~~oflaw,but
thelylencyhsstheuhimateauthoritytoapprovetheproposalfordeciskm. Srcid. Fmthumore, the committee draf&l the bill to restrict an agenq+s powa to ovaturn ~~wjudge’sdccisionbypamittingtheagencytochangea ~f&oraconclusionoflawonlyforpolicyreasonsandoniyinwriting. Seeid.
Inour~~~rhelegislatunwMtedtoensun~~w~~thatwererequindto use the services of the SOAH would not intafere with the administmtive law judge’s decision. See id. (testimony ?f.Judith Sokolow, representing Advocacy. Inc.) (testi@ng about need for impa~M admmc%mtive hearings conducted by judiciary independent of agency); id. (testimony of Mary Jo -den, representing T~ras Planniq Council for
Mr.FredS.Bdnkky, Jr.,R.Ph. - Page 4 (DH-231)
DeveloptnentalDhbUities)(same). Unti&ther&mm~hasrroeivtdapmpuaal fordecision5omtheadministntivckwjudge,tlteageatcycanparticipateinthe rdrmmstntlve~OnlybypreKntingevideaamdlMkillg~UgUalWt~tbC
hedq. See V.T.C.S. art. 625243a, 0 13(j); Hearing on Senata Bill 884 Before the House Conun. on State ASairs (May 41991) (tutimmy ofLinda Sword, .-y@ O5ceoftheAftonlcyGauxat)(tapeavaihble6umIiousa~coordrmtor.
We do not believe that article 625243f motion 3(b), V.T.C.S., ammdiu~ this wndurion~itrrrtuthatm~kwjudge”mry.’inrtadaf”rhg
issueapropomltardecihn. Inthispro%on,~meaus”tobaveauthityto”or”to be pen&ted to: See B. G&tN8& hiODERN LEGAL U8ME 98.354 (1987). Section 3(b) hstswwraltasksmadhismhlawjudge”may”perfotm. ThebillamiysisforSawc Bill884deraibestheIisthr#ctiw3(b)rcl’p~of~irwjudga. A ” ptlm@vcis’mardwivcorspecialrigllt,power,orprivil~: as...onebdoqing w8R8IER?3lQrmiN8w caLEGlAlBDlcnoNARY tOMofliiar~UtOffiCi8lbody.* 930 (1990). we bdiew that the cbaractwizstkm of section 3(b) as a list of pfemgha is wMiatwt*thel~intMt: tllel~intaldal~vfeo*thoseagenciu raplydtoutilizethe ssmicosofthesoAH,tbesoAyandonlytbesoAH,is allth&toconductann~andissuetllepropoulfbrdeoisiou The agaK&-tomodifythepmponlbutonlyin~rdancewitb8ectioo13oof
You8r@lethtaection150fAPTRAat&orkutllebo8rdtofbnsorraiviag8 propoaal~d~~fiantheSOAHifamcljorityodtheboardmrrmknbve&ardtbe caseorteadthetecord. Section15providesiaperhcntpartasfo~
Ifinaumtesedaseatn&ityoftbcofEcihoftbeagutfy wlwamtoratdmthe6mldecisionbavmaotkardthecaseorrad therewn&thedecisi~ifadvusetoaparkytothepPocsadiag0tbu thantheagenq-its@maynotbemadetmtilaproposslfbrdaGon isswvedonthepartia,andanop&Mxm&taffordedtoucllparty advemlya&ctedto6leexceptionsandpremtbriefktotheofficials wlloaretorenderthedecision.
SectionlSdoeonot~an~~toforagorrcdvinga~~ford~oa~ tbeSOAHinanyc&mstam. FortboscagcnciestbatarcsubjccttoApTRAandtht must use the suvicu of the SOAH, section 13(j) of APTR& together witb uticle 6252-13$ section 3(b), V.T.C.S., requires the SOAH admhhhe law judge to conduct a hearing and prepare a proposal for decision for the agq@ approval. If the admuwmm law judge proposes a decision that will be adverse to a party to the proc#dingotherthantheeg~,sectionlSprovidepthattheagmcycarmotrrndaaS final de&ion until it has satisfied the rquiranents articulated in section 15.
Mr. Fred S. Brinkley, Jr.. RPh. - Page 5 (DM-231)
Youalsosuggestthatbecausemmyumtestalcasubeforrtheboardinvolvea pharmakt accused ofillegally diverdng controlled substances the board should be able to rcvoketheaaalsedpharmfi&sli-wm-perilbasia. Youamtaldthat requiriagrucbacaseto~befonan~kwjudgeoftheSOAHwilldday ruchMnorda,~a.#iousthreattothepublichealthandwelfue.’ Wenote, however, tlmt article 6252-132 section 3(c), V.T.C.S.. rcquks the SOAH to bear a case withinareaao&letime. scC&StateO&eofMnrinimativeHeakgs,17Tex.Reg. 2565. 6442, 6443 (1992) (to be c&&xl at 1 T&C. 00 155.15(a)(2), 157.1(a)). ~~,~~19AofApTRArutborizcstnilesncy,includiagthebwd,tonquest thcittorneygmaaltobringm~winadirtriacourtwithjurisdictionovathemwa to compel compliance with an agency rule. .Qe 28 T.A.C. 0 281.24(a)(3), (4), (5) @sting rmong~fordiscipline~o~~~Mddistributi0nofdrugsinvi0lation of Controlled Sub- Act and Dangenw Drug Act). Se&on 17(k) of the Texas pharrnaq Act, V.T.C.S. article 4542a-1. also authorizes the board to sue in district comt to ruttain or enjoin a person from violating article 4542a-1. See V.T.C.S. att. 4542a-1, 0 26(a)(9) (pvidhg that board may discipline pharmakt who violates any pr0vision of tbe Controlled Substanw Act or Daqenws Drug Act). In our opinion, the~&w, the
aknat&sbywhi0hitmayscektorWrainorenjoinapharma&t~illegally *6 Mr. Fred S. Brinkley, Jr., RPh. - Pale 6 @M-231)
Abswtreaclhganagrud5aldisposltionofamatm.a uculsingboardtlmtirrrequhedtousethe SCWiOUOft&SWtCOBOG ofAdmiGmkH~mayaotmekeitaown~of~ ccldusion$oflaw,ofvateondiscipiine. InstaK&ttKIboardunlsl rcccivcf.tomtheSOAHrpropomlfbrde&ion,whichthcboludmry xmdiQonlyincomplianawithsecdon13~)ofthe- Pmwduru and Teas Registu Act, V.T.C.S. article 6252-13~ Fmthamorc,8bOtKdlUQ-aotpIWU@b~NlegiViOgitthC alalitytomakeitsown6ndlngsoffactandamclusionsoflaw. DAN MORALES AttOXIWGmmlGfTaU WlLL PRYOR
FnrtASS<AnonryGenaJ
MARYKELLER
DepulyAttwntyGenualfrw~on
BmEAHlcKs
statefblstor
MADELEJNE B. JOHNSON
chak,Gpildoncomadttee
p. [1201]