The following words and terms, when used in this subchapter, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

1. (1) Agency - The Texas Education Agency.
2. (2) Commissioner - The state commissioner of education.
3. (3) Contested case - A proceeding in which legal rights, duties, or privileges of a party are to be determined by the commissioner after opportunity for an adjudicative hearing.
4. (4) Disqualification - When an administrative law judge, in his or her discretion, permanently forbids a party representative from any further participation in an adjudicative proceeding.
5. (5) Exclusion - When an administrative law judge, in his or her discretion, ejects a person temporarily from an adjudicative proceeding.
6. (6) Administrative law judge - A member or employee of the agency or other individual assigned to issue a proposal for decision, to render a decision, or to make findings of fact or conclusions of law in a case.
7. (7) Party representative - A lawyer or non-lawyer who acts on behalf of himself or herself, or on behalf of another person during an adjudicative proceeding.

Source Note:The provisions of this §157.2 adopted to be effective October 10, 1999, 24 TexReg 8548.