<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".03" citation="COMAR 07.01.04.03" title_num="07" subtitle_num="01" chapter_num="04" heading="Appeal Request.">
  <paragraph num="A.">
    <text>Appeal by Applicant. An applicant may request a hearing when the agency:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Denies in full or in part an application for assistance;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Denies in full or in part an application for licensing, approval, or registration;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Fails to act with reasonable promptness on an application for, or a request for adjustment of, assistance; or</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>Gives notice of its intention to take any of the actions listed in §A(1)—(3) of this regulation.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="B.">
    <text>Appeal by Recipient. A recipient may request a hearing when the agency:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Suspends, reduces, or terminates assistance;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Makes a decision affecting a plan of service to a recipient;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Makes a decision affecting a recipient's licensing, approval, or registration;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>Makes a decision affecting the method of providing assistance;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>Refers a recipient to a work program;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(6)">
      <text>Takes a position regarding the disposition of the conciliation process as set forth in COMAR 07.03.03.15;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(7)">
      <text>Imposes sanctions on a recipient;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(8)">
      <text>Recovers an overpayment or over issuance in assistance; or</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(9)">
      <text>Gives notice of its intention to take any of the actions listed in §B(1)—(8) of this regulation.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="C.">
    <text>Child Support Enforcement Appeals. An individual may request a hearing or a record review when the agency:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Has caused the interception or offset of all or part of the individual’s State tax refund, abandoned property, or any payment due to the obligor from the Comptroller of the Treasury, or lottery prize as a result of an arrearage in child support;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Has caused the interception or offset of all or part of the individual's federal tax refund or federal payment authorized under 31 U.S.C. §3716 as a result of a child support arrearage reported to the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Has caused the denial or revocation of the individual's passport as a result of a child support arrearage reported to the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>Has decided to disclose information regarding the individual's court-ordered child support obligation to:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>The Motor Vehicle Administration;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>A consumer reporting agency; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>A business, occupation, or professional licensing authority; or</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>Has denied the individual participation in the payment incentive program; or</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(6)">
      <text>Has conducted an investigation pursuant to COMAR 07.07.12, 07.07.15, 07.07.16, 07.07.19, 07.07.20, or 07.07.21, and the individual disagrees with the results of that investigation.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="D.">
    <text>Notice. At the time of application, and at any time an individual expresses to the agency disagreement with an agency action or intended action, the agency shall notify the individual in writing of:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>The right to request an appeal;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>The method by which an appeal may be requested;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Any applicable fees;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>The right to be represented in an appeal by a lawyer, relative, friend, or other individual; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>The availability of any free legal services.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="E.">
    <text>Adverse Action Notice. The agency shall send written notice of any adverse action in writing, and, in addition to the information specified in §D of this regulation, the notice shall include the:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Decision;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Basis for the decision; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Specific regulation supporting the decision.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="F.">
    <text>Time to Appeal — General. Except as provided in §§H and I of this regulation, the request for a hearing or record review is effective if the agency receives the request:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Within 90 calendar days of the agency mailing or delivering timely and adequate notice, whichever is earlier;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Within 90 calendar days of the agency action if the agency failed to give timely and adequate notice;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Within 90 calendar days of any date by which the agency was required to act on an application or to make an adjustment in assistance and failed or refused to act; or</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>With regard to a dispute as to the current level of food stamps, at any time within the current food stamp certification period.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="G.">
    <text>Time to Appeal — Child Support Enforcement. With regard to child support enforcement appeals, the request is effective if OAH receives it within:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>15 calendar days:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Of the State Lottery Agency's notice of action or intended action pursuant to COMAR 07.07.10; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>After the appellant receives the written results of an investigation issued by the Administration pursuant to COMAR 07.07.20;</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>20 calendar days of the Child Support Administration's notice of action or intended action pursuant to COMAR 07.07.15; or</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>30 calendar days:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>After the date of the notice denying the individual participation in the payment incentive program;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>After the date of the notice of the results of an investigation conducted by the Administration pursuant to COMAR 07.07.19 and 07.07.21; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Of notice of action or intended action in any other child support matter from:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>The Child Support Administration;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>The State Comptroller;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iii)">
          <text>Any licensing authority;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iv)">
          <text>The Internal Revenue Service of the United States;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(v)">
          <text>The United States Department of State; or</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(vi)">
          <text>The Financial Management Service of the United States Department of the Treasury.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="H.">
    <text>Time to Appeal — Office of Home Energy Programs (OHEP).  With regard to OHEP appeals, the request is effective if OHEP or the Office of Administrative Hearings receives the request:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Within 30 calendar days of the agency mailing or delivering timely and adequate notice, whichever is earlier;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>Within 30 calendar days of the agency action if the agency failed to give timely and adequate notice; or</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Within 30 calendar days of any date by which the agency was required to act on an application or to make an adjustment in assistance and failed or refused to act.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="I.">
    <text>An appeal request:</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Is made by expressing a desire to appeal;</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>May be received by any social worker, caseworker, or manager, interviewer, or other employee of the agency whose assignment requires contact with the public; and</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>Whether communicated formally or informally, shall be reported immediately to the agency's designated hearing coordinator.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="J.">
    <text>Except as provided in §§I and L of this regulation, the filing date of the appeal request is the date the agency received the request in writing.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="K.">
    <text>Oral Appeal Requests.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Either the agency or the appellant shall reduce an oral appeal request to writing within 7 calendar days of the oral appeal request.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>The agency shall ask the appellant to reduce an oral request to writing and shall offer to assist the appellant.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>If the appellant refuses to do so, the agency shall reduce the request to writing.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>When the request is reduced to writing, the date of the oral request is considered to be the filing date of the request.</text>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="L.">
    <text>Agency Assistance in the Appeal Request.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>The agency shall assist the appellant in completing an appropriate appeal request form to ensure that it contains all the information required to process the request.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>When it is unclear from the request what action is being appealed, the agency may ask the appellant to clarify the request.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>When necessary, the agency shall provide an interpreter to:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Assist the appellant in filing an appeal request; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Assure that the hearing procedure is explained in a manner understood by the appellant.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
</regulation>