Regulations under this chapter contain procedures by which the Commissioner of Financial Regulation of the State of Maryland may reach informed decisions with respect to: Applications to charter state banking institutions and credit unions pursuant to Financial Institutions Article, Title 3, Subtitle 2, and Title 6, Subtitle 2, Annotated Code of Maryland; Applications by banks for merger or consolidation pursuant to Financial Institutions Article, Title 3, Subtitle 7, Annotated Code of Maryland; All other applications where the Presiding Officer deems it desirable to employ the procedures established here in determining legislative-type facts. In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated. Terms Defined. “Hearing panel” means the Presiding Officer and other individuals designated by him to hear the case; however, the decision shall be made by the Presiding Officer. “Presiding Officer” means the Commissioner of Financial Regulation or the Deputy Commissioner when acting pursuant to Financial Institutions Article, §2-103(e), Annotated Code of Maryland (Deputy Commissioner to act in case of vacancy). Within 30 calendar days after an application is filed with the Commissioner of Financial Regulation, he shall publish in the Maryland Register a notice containing the name of the applicant, its proposed location, the subject matter of the application, and the date upon which the application was filed. In addition to publication under Regulation .03 of this chapter, the Commissioner of Financial Regulation may solicit comments from each person or organization he believes has information concerning the application. Any interested person or organization may submit to the Commissioner of Financial Regulation written comments concerning the application. These comments and all requests for a hearing should be received by the Commissioner of Financial Regulation within 20 calendar days from the date of publication under Regulation .03 of this chapter. The Commissioner's file on the application shall include all information received from any person or organization in regard to that application. The information available for public inspection consists of that portion of the file which may be disclosed under State Government Article, Title 10, Subtitle 6 (Access to Public Records) and Financial Institutions Article, §5-209 (Confidentiality of Information), Annotated Code of Maryland. The Commissioner of Financial Regulation may schedule a hearing on the application in the following instances: Upon a request made within the time limit set forth in Regulation .05 of this chapter by a person or organization other than the applicant, unless the Commissioner of Financial Regulation finds that the objections raised to the application are frivolous and insubstantial; Upon specific request of the applicant in the application; or If he deems a hearing helpful in obtaining additional information. If a hearing is scheduled, at least 20 calendar days before the scheduled date of the hearing, notice shall be mailed to: The applicant; Those who made a timely request for a hearing under Regulation .05 of this chapter; and Other persons designated by the Presiding Officer. Only the persons or organizations receiving notice under Regulation .08 of this chapter are parties to the hearing. All hearings shall be open to the public. Each party to the hearing shall be permitted to make a short opening statement outlining his position. Following the opening statements, the applicant and then each of the other parties to the hearing shall present its data and materials, oral and documentary. Each party is responsible for obtaining the party's witnesses for the hearing. All witnesses shall be sworn. The Presiding Officer may admit and give probative effect to evidence which possesses probative value commonly accepted by reasonable and prudent men in the conduct of their affairs. The Presiding Officer shall give effect to the rules of privilege recognized by law. He may exclude incompetent, irrelevant, immaterial, and unduly repetitious evidence. Each party may cross-examine the witnesses who testify and may submit rebuttal evidence. At appropriate points during a hearing, the Presiding Officer may recognize anyone for the purpose of asking questions of a witness. The hearing panel may call witnesses of its own or recall witnesses of a party for the purpose of eliciting facts or opinions. The hearing panel may call for the production of documents relevant to the proceedings and may file them in the case. The Presiding Officer shall arrange to have all hearings recorded. Parties requesting copies of the transcript shall bear the expense of the copies. The record shall consist of all the information submitted to the Presiding Officer and the testimony and exhibits presented at the hearing that information which is protected from disclosure in accordance with Regulation .06 of this chapter does not lose that status by virtue of its having been considered by the hearing panel. Judicial Notice and Expertise. The Presiding Officer may take notice of judicially cognizable facts and, in addition, may take notice of general, technical, or scientific facts within his specialized knowledge. The parties shall be notified either before or during the hearing, or by reference in preliminary reports or otherwise, of the material so noticed, and shall be afforded an opportunity to contest the facts so noticed. The Presiding Officer may utilize his experience, technical competence, and specialized knowledge, and that of the other members of the hearing panel, in the evaluation of the evidence presented to the hearing panel. If a hearing is held, the Presiding Officer shall state his decision and reasons for it in writing. A copy of the decision and reasons shall be mailed to all parties. If the Presiding Officer in his sole discretion determines that the operation of any of the aforegoing rules in a particular case would not aid him in fulfilling his statutory duties, and if he shall also determine that the suspension or modification of the rule in question would not prevent him from handling the application in an efficient and orderly manner, he may suspend or modify the rule accordingly and shall so notify the parties. Financial Institutions Article, §2-105.1; Title 3, Subtitles 2 and 7; Title 5, Subtitle 10; and Title 6, Subtitle 2, Annotated Code of Maryland Effective date: January 14, 1976 (3:3 Md. R. 146) Regulation .01 amended effective July 9, 2012 (39:13 Md. R. 785) Regulations .07 and .11 amended effective March 9, 1977 (4:5 Md. R. 372)