Judicial Officer.

§ 952.26 Judicial Officer. (a) The Judicial Officer is authorized: (1) To act as presiding officer; (2) To render tentative decisions; (3) To render final agency decisions; (4) To issue Postal Service orders for the Postmaster General; (5) To refer the record in any proceeding to the Postmaster General or the Deputy Postmaster General for final agency decision; (6) To remand a case to the presiding officer for consideration; and, (7) To revise or amend these rules of practice. (b) In determining appeals from initial decisions or exceptions to tentative decisions, the entire official record will be considered before a final agency decision is rendered. Before rendering a final agency decision, the Judicial Officer may order the hearing reopened for the presentation of additional evidence by the parties.