Sanctions relating to conduct in an adjudicatory proceeding.

§ 19.192 Sanctions relating to conduct in an adjudicatory proceeding. (a) General rule. Appropriate sanctions may be imposed when any party or person representing a party in an adjudicatory proceeding under this part has failed to comply with an applicable statute, regulation, or order, and that failure to comply: (1) Constitutes contemptuous conduct; (2) Materially injures or prejudices another party in terms of substantive injury, incurring additional expenses including attorney's fees, prejudicial delay, or otherwise; (3) Is a clear and unexcused violation of an applicable statute, regulation, or order; or (4) Unduly delays the proceeding. (b) Sanctions. Sanctions which may be imposed include any one or more of the following: (1) Issuing an order against the party; (2) Rejecting or striking any testimony or documentary evidence offered, or other papers filed, by the party; (3) Precluding the party from contesting specific issues or findings; (4) Precluding the party from offering certain evidence or from challenging or contesting certain evidence offered by another party; (5) Precluding the party from making a late filing or conditioning a late filing on any terms that are just; and (6) Assessing reasonable expenses, including attorney's fees, incurred by any other party as a result of the improper action or failure to act. (c) Procedure for imposition of sanctions. (1) Upon the motion of any party, or on his or her own motion, the administrative law judge or other presiding officer may impose sanctions in accordance with this section. The administrative law judge or other presiding officer shall submit to the Comptroller for final ruling any sanction entering a final order that determines the case on the merits. (2) No sanction authorized by this section, other than refusal to accept late filings, shall be imposed without prior notice to all parties and an opportunity for any party against whom sanctions would be imposed to be heard. Such opportunity to be heard may be on such notice, and the response may be in such form as the administrative law judge or other presiding officer directs. The administrative law judge or other presiding officer may limit the opportunity to be heard to an opportunity of a party or a party's representative to respond orally immediately after the act or inaction covered by this section is noted by the administrative law judge or other presiding officer. (3) Requests for the imposition of sanctions by any party, and the imposition of sanctions, are subject to interlocutory review pursuant to § 19.25 in the same manner as any other ruling. (d) Section not exclusive. Nothing in this section shall be read as precluding the administrative law judge or other presiding officer or the Comptroller from taking any other action, or imposing any restriction or sanction, authorized by applicable statute or regulation.