(a)

1. (1) The fair hearing shall be held within 50 days of the date the appeal request form is received by the department or other agency designated by the department to receive appeal request forms, unless a continuance is granted to the claimant. A claimant’s first request for a continuance made prior to the commencement of the hearing shall be granted without a showing of good cause. A claimant may request additional continuances based on a showing of good cause. A claimant’s request for a continuance shall result in a waiver of the claimant’s Medicaid home and community-based services right to a decision within 90 days of the date the appeal request form is received.

2. (2) The regional center or state-operated facility also may request a continuance based upon a showing of good cause, provided that the granting of the continuance does not extend the time period for rendering a final administrative decision beyond the 90-day period provided for in this chapter. For purposes of this section, good cause for either party includes, but is not limited to, the following circumstances:

   1. (A) Death of a spouse, parent, child, brother, sister, or grandparent of the claimant or authorized representative, or of the regional center or state-operated facility representative.
   2. (B) Personal illness or injury of the claimant or authorized representative, or of the regional center or state-operated facility representative.
   3. (C) Sudden and unexpected emergencies, including, but not limited to, court appearances or conflicting schedules if the conflict is beyond the control of the claimant, authorized representative, or regional center or state-operated facility representative.
   4. (D) Unavailability of a witness or evidence, the absence of which would result in serious prejudice to the claimant or the regional center or state-operated facility.
   5. (E) An intervening request for mediation by the claimant or the claimant’s authorized representative.

(b)

1. (1) Notwithstanding Sections 19130, 19131, and 19132 of the Government Code, the department shall contract for the provision of independent hearing officers. Hearing officers shall have had at least two years of full-time legal training at a California or American Bar Association accredited law school or the equivalent in training and experience as established by regulations adopted by the department.
2. (2) Hearing officers shall receive training and information in the law and regulations governing services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and administrative hearings. Training shall include, but not be limited to, the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act and regulations adopted thereunder, relevant written directives and guidance issued by the department, relevant case law, information about services and supports available to persons with developmental disabilities, including innovative services and supports, the standard agreement contract between the department and regional centers, and regional center purchase-of-service policies. The training shall include methods to create an impartial and informal hearing environment that encourages the free and open exchange of information and engages the parties to bring out relevant facts, protecting the rights of claimants at fair hearings, with emphasis on assisting, if appropriate, an unrepresented claimant, family member, authorized representative, or advocate inexperienced in administrative hearings in fully developing the administrative record. The training also shall include information about disabilities and disability-related supports that may enable participation in a hearing, and reasonable accommodations to reduce barriers.
3. (3) The department and the hearing office shall seek the advice of stakeholders, including recipients and family members representing diverse disabilities and backgrounds, the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, the protection and advocacy agency identified in Division 4.7 (commencing with Section 4900) and designated by the Governor in this state to fulfill the requirements and assurances of the federal Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000, contained in Chapter 144 (commencing with Section 15001) of Title 42 of the United States Code, the Association of Regional Center Agencies, advocacy organizations, and other state agencies or organizations in the development of standardized hearing procedures for hearing officers and training materials and the implementation of training procedures by the department. The department shall provide formal training for hearing officers on at least an annual basis.

(d)

1. (1) The regional center or state-operated facility shall prepare a position statement and send it electronically to the hearing office and the claimant, unless the claimant has communicated an alternative way to receive the document, at least two business days prior to the hearing. The position statement shall summarize the facts of the case and set forth the justification of the regional center’s or state-operated facility’s action and shall include a list of witnesses that it intends to call during the hearing, the general subject of the testimony of each witness, and copies of all documentary evidence that it intends to use.

   1. (A) If the preferred language of the claimant or their authorized representative is not English, the regional center also shall provide a copy of the position statement in their preferred language.
   2. (B) If the regional center or state-operated facility cannot provide a copy of the position statement in the preferred language of the claimant or their authorized representative two business days prior to the hearing, the regional center or state-operated facility shall notify the claimant or their authorized representative, provide a copy of the position statement in English, and apply for a continuance of the hearing accompanied by evidence of its efforts to translate the position statement.
   3. (C) The hearing officer shall, unless the claimant or their authorized representative indicates they want to proceed to hearing, continue the hearing for no more than 10 days following a determination that the regional center or state-operated facility has provided satisfactory evidence of its efforts to translate the position statement. The translated position statement shall be provided at least two business days prior to the continued hearing.
2. (2) At least two business days prior to the hearing, a claimant who is not represented by an attorney licensed to practice law in California shall make available to the regional center or state-operated facility and the hearing office a list of intended witnesses and a brief description of their relationship to the claimant and copies of any professional assessments or reports related to eligibility or services that the claimant intends to use at hearing. At or before the hearing, the claimant also shall make available to the regional center or state-operated facility and the hearing office copies of all other intended documentary evidence.
3. (3) If the claimant is represented by, or is, an attorney licensed to practice law in California, the claimant’s attorney shall prepare a position statement and make it available to the regional center or state-operated facility and the hearing office at least two business days prior to the hearing. The position statement shall summarize the facts of the case and set forth the justification for the claimant’s position and shall include a list of intended witnesses, the general subject of the testimony of each witness, and copies of all documentary evidence intended to be used.

4. (4)

   1. (A) The hearing officer may prohibit testimony of a witness or the introduction of documents that have not been disclosed. However, the hearing officer may allow introduction of documents or witness testimony in the interest of justice.
   2. (B) In considering an unrepresented claimant’s failure to disclose testimony or documents, the hearing officer also may consider the claimant’s understanding of the disclosure requirements, disability factors that made it difficult for the claimant to comply with the rule, and the impact of excluding testimony or documents on the hearing officer’s ability to assist the parties in bringing out relevant facts.

(e)

1. (1) The fair hearing shall be held at a time and place reasonably convenient to the claimant and the authorized representative. The claimant or the authorized representative of the claimant and the regional center shall agree on the place of the fair hearing.
2. (2) A place pursuant to paragraph (1) may include an agreement of the parties, or an order by a hearing officer, following a finding of good cause, to conduct the hearing by telephone, videoconference, or other electronic means.

(i)

1. (1) The fair hearing shall be conducted in an impartial and informal manner in order to encourage the presentation of information and the free and open discussion by participants. The hearing officer shall make their best effort to fully and fairly develop the record and create an environment in which all relevant facts, both favorable and unfavorable, are brought out and to engage the parties to bring out the facts.
2. (2) The fair hearing need not be conducted according to the technical rules of evidence and those related to witnesses. Any relevant evidence shall be admitted. Both parties shall be allowed to submit documents into evidence at the beginning of the hearing. A party shall not be required to formally authenticate any document unless the hearing officer determines the necessity to do so in the interest of justice. All testimony shall be under oath or affirmation which the hearing officer is empowered to administer.

3. (3) The hearing officer may do any of the following during the hearing to assist in bringing out all relevant facts:

   1. (A) Question a witness on the record.
   2. (B) Call a witness to testify at the hearing.
   3. (C) Hold the record open to allow a party to obtain necessary testimony or documentation identified by the hearing officer during the course of the fair hearing.