(a) Generally. An original and four copies of the complaint shall be filed with the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer. An original and two copies of all other pleadings, including any attachments, shall be filed with the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer by the parties presenting the pleadings until an Administrative Law Judge is assigned to a case. Thereafter, all pleadings shall be delivered or mailed for filing to the Administrative Law Judge assigned to the case, and shall be accompanied by a certification indicating service to all parties of record. When a party is represented by an attorney, service shall be made upon the attorney. Except as required by §68.54(c) and paragraph (c) of this section, service of any document upon any party may be made by personal delivery or by mailing a copy to the last known address. The person serving the document shall certify to the manner and date of service.

(b) Discovery. The parties shall not file requests for discovery, answers, or responses thereto with the Administrative Law Judge. The Administrative Law Judge may, however, upon motion of a party or on his or her own initiative, order that such requests for discovery, answers, or responses thereto be filed.

(c) Where a time limit is imposed by statute, regulation, or order. Pleadings and briefs may be filed by facsimile with either an Administrative Law Judge or, in the case of a complaint, with the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer, only to toll the running of a time limit. All original signed pleadings and other documents must be forwarded concurrently with the transmission of the facsimile. Any party filing documents by facsimile must include in the certification of service a certification that service on the opposing party has also been made by facsimile or by same-day hand delivery, or, if service by facsimile or same-day hand delivery cannot be made, a certification that the document has been served instead by overnight delivery service. In the case of requests for administrative review, briefs or other filings relating to review by the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer, filing, or service shall be made using the procedure set forth in this paragraph pursuant to §68.54(c).

[Order No. 2203-99, 64 FR 7074, Feb. 12, 1999]