# COMAR Title 17 — Department of Budget and Management

## Subtitle 04 — Personnel Services and Benefits

### Chapter 07 — Conferences, Hearings, and Appeals

#### Regulation .14 Office of Administrative Hearings.

*COMAR 17.04.07.14*

A. In a hearing held pursuant to State Personnel and Pensions Article, Titles 11 and 12, Annotated Code of Maryland, the Office of Administrative Hearings is bound by a regulation, declaratory ruling, prior adjudication, or other settled, preexisting policy, to the same extent that the Office is, or would have been bound, if it were hearing the case.

B. A hearing conducted by the Office of Administrative Hearings, in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, shall be closed to the general public unless the employee waives the confidentiality of the hearing.

C. The Office of Administrative Hearings may not conduct a settlement conference before taking oral testimony or issuing a ruling on a substantive issue. After taking oral testimony or issuing a ruling on a substantive issue, the Office of Administrative Hearings may conduct a settlement conference.