Terms defined in the Act shall mean the same in these rules as in the Act. In addition, and except as may be provided otherwise in these rules:

Act means the Packers and Stockyards Act, 1921, and legislation supplementary thereto and amendatory thereof, 7 U.S.C. 181 et seq.;

Agency means those divisions and offices of the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department which are charged with administration of the Act;

Agency Head means the Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) of the Department, or any officer or employee of the Agency to whom authority is lawfully delegated to act for the Administrator;

Complainant means the party who files a complaint and claims reparation, or on whose behalf a complaint is filed and reparation is claimed, in a reparation proceeding;

Department means the United States Department of Agriculture;

Docketing of a reparation proceeding means transmittal of papers to the Hearing Clerk and assignment of a docket number as provided in Rule 8, §202.108, of these rules;

Hearing means that part of a reparation proceeding which involves the submission of evidence for the record and means either an oral or a written hearing;

Hearing Clerk means the Hearing Clerk of the Department (see 7 CFR 2.25(a)(3));

Judicial Officer means the official of the Department delegated authority by the Secretary, pursuant to the Act of April 4, 1940 (7 U.S.C. 450c-450g) and Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1953, to perform the function involved (see 7 CFR 2.35);

Mail means to deposit an item in the United States mail with postage affixed and addressed as necessary to cause it to be delivered to the address shown by ordinary mail, or by certified or registered mail if specified.

Presiding Officer means any attorney who is employed in the Office of the General Counsel of the Department and is assigned so to act in a reparation proceeding;

Re-mail means to mail by ordinary mail to an address an item that has been returned after being sent to the same address by certified or registered mail.

Reparation proceeding or Proceeding means a proceeding under the Act before the Secretary, in which an order for the payment of money is claimed and in which the Secretary is not a party of record;

Report means the report to the Judicial Officer of the presiding officer's recommended findings of fact and conclusions with respect to all material issues of fact, law or discretion, as well as the reasons or basis therefor, and order, in a reparation proceeding.

Respondent means the party against whom a complaint is filed and reparation is claimed, in a reparation proceeding;

Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture of the United States, or any officer or employee of the Department to whom authority is lawfully delegated to act for the Secretary;

[43 FR 30510, July 14, 1978, as amended at 46 FR 60414, Dec. 10, 1981; 55 FR 41183, Oct. 10, 1990; 60 FR 8465, Feb. 14, 1995; 84 FR 45647, Aug. 30, 2019]