39 C.F.R. § 952.26 – Judicial Officer.

(a) The Judicial Officer is authorized:
1. (1) To act as presiding officer;
2. (2) To render tentative decisions;
3. (3) To render final agency decisions;
4. (4) To issue Postal Service orders for the Postmaster General;
5. (5) To refer the record in any proceeding to the Postmaster General or the Deputy Postmaster General for final agency decision;
6. (6) To remand a case to the presiding officer for consideration; and,
7. (7) To revise or amend these rules of practice.
(b) In determining appeals from initial decisions or exceptions to tentative decisions, the entire official record will be considered before a final agency decision is rendered. Before rendering a final agency decision, the Judicial Officer may order the hearing reopened for the presentation of additional evidence by the parties.