Depositions upon oral examination-notice and preliminary procedure.

§ 1.315 Depositions upon oral examination—notice and preliminary procedure. (a) Notice. A party to a hearing proceeding desiring to take the deposition of any person upon oral examination shall give a minimum of 21 days' notice to every other party, to the person to be examined, and to the presiding officer or case manager. A copy of the notice shall be filed with the Secretary of the Commission for inclusion in the Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System. Related pleadings shall be served and filed in the same manner. The notice shall contain the following information: (1) The name and address of each person to be examined, if known, and if the name is not known, a general description sufficient to identify him or the particular class or group to which he belongs. (2) The time and place for taking the deposition of each person to be examined, and the name or descriptive title and address of the officer before whom the deposition is to be taken. (3) The matters upon which each person will be examined. See § 1.319. (b) Responsive pleadings. (1) Within 7 days after service of the notice to take depositions, a motion opposing the taking of depositions may be filed by any party to the proceeding or by the person to be examined. See § 1.319(a). (2) Within 14 days after service of the notice to take depositions, a response to the opposition motion may be filed by any party to the proceeding. (3) Additional pleadings should not be filed and will not be considered. (4) The computation of time provisions set forth in § 1.4(g) shall not apply to pleadings filed under the provisions of this paragraph. (c) Protective order. On an opposition motion filed under paragraph (b) of this section, or on his own motion, the presiding officer may issue a protective order. See § 1.313. A protective order issued by the presiding officer on his own motion may be issued at any time prior to the date specified in the notice for the taking of depositions. (d) Authority to take depositions. (1) If an opposition motion is not filed within 7 days after service of the notice to take depositions, and if the presiding officer does not on his own motion issue a protective order prior to the time specified in the notice for the taking of depositions, the depositions described in the notice may be taken. An order for the taking of depositions is not required. (2) If an opposition motion is filed, the depositions described in the notice shall not be taken until the presiding officer has acted on that motion. If the presiding officer authorizes the taking of depositions, he may specify a time, place or officer for taking them different from that specified in the notice to take depositions. (3) If the presiding officer issues a protective order, the depositions described in the notice may be taken (if at all) only in accordance with the provisions of that order. [33 FR 10571, July 25, 1968, as amended at 56 FR 794, Jan. 9, 1991; 85 FR 63181, Oct. 6, 2020]