1. (a) A hearing shall be confidential to ensure the information of a member's file is not disclosed. The member may expressly waive the member's right to maintain confidentiality of the information before the proceedings will be opened to the public.
2. (b) All hearings will be held in Austin, Texas unless all parties agree to another site.
3. (c) The petitioner has the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that the relief sought in the petition should be granted. The petitioner shall present his or her direct case first at hearing.
4. (d) Where the proceeding is initiated at the executive director's or the board's own call, or where several proceedings are heard on a consolidated record, the administrative law judge shall designate who shall open and close and at what stage intervenors or other parties shall be permitted to offer evidence.
5. (e) The administrative law judge may call upon any party or staff of TRS for further material or relevant evidence upon any issue before the issuance of a proposal for decision; however, no such evidence shall be allowed into the record without an opportunity for inspection, cross-examination, and rebuttal by the other interested parties.
6. (f) At the request of a party, the administrative law judge shall order the witnesses excluded so that they cannot hear the testimony of other witnesses. This section does not authorize exclusion of a party.
7. (g) During the hearing, formal exceptions to rulings of the administrative law judge are not required. It shall be sufficient that a party, at the time of any ruling is made or sought, shall make known to the administrative law judge the action sought.

Source Note:The provisions of this §43.215 adopted to be effective January 2, 2025, 49 TexReg 10651.