Sec.  0.351   Authority delegated.

   The Chief Administrative Law Judge shall act on the following matters in
   proceedings conducted by hearing examiners:

   (a) Initial specifications of the time and place of hearings where not
   otherwise specified by the Commission and excepting actions under authority
   delegated by  Sec. 0.296.

   (b) Designation of the hearing examiner to preside at hearings.

   (c) Orders directing the parties or their attorneys to appear at a specified
   time  and  place before the hearing examiner for an initial prehearing
   conference in accordance with  Sec. 1.251(a) of this chapter. (The administrative
   law judge named to preside at the hearing may order an initial prehearing
   conference although the Chief Administrative Law Judge may not have seen fit
   to do so and may order supplementary prehearing conferences in accordance
   with  Sec. 1.251(b) of this chapter.)

   (d) Petitions requesting a change in the place of hearing where the hearing
   is scheduled to begin in the District of Columbia or where the hearing is
   scheduled to begin at a field location and all appropriate proceedings at
   that  location  have not been completed. (See  Sec. 1.253 of this chapter.)
   However,  if all parties to a proceeding concur in holding all hearing
   sessions in the District of Columbia rather than at any field location, the
   presiding administrative law judge may act on the request.

   (e) In the absence of the administrative law judge who has been designated
   to preside in a proceeding, to discharge the administrative law judge's
   functions.

   (f) All pleadings filed, or matters which arise, after a proceeding has been
   designated for hearing, but before a law judge has been designated, which
   would otherwise be acted upon by the law judge, including all pleadings
   filed,  or  matters which arise, in cease and desist and/or revocation
   proceedings prior to the designation of a presiding officer.

   (g) All pleadings (such as motions for extension of time) which are related
   to matters to be acted upon by the Chief Administrative Law Judge.

   (h) If the administrative law judge designated to preside at a hearing
   becomes unavailable, to order a rehearing or to order that the hearing
   continue before another administrative law judge and, in either case, to
   designate the judge who is to preside.

   (i) The consolidation of related proceedings pursuant to  Sec. 1.227(a) of this
   chapter, after designation of those proceedings for hearing.

   [ 29 FR 6443 , May 16, 1964, as amended at  37 FR 19372 , Sept. 20, 1972;  38 FR 30559 , Nov. 6, 1973;  43 FR 49307 , Oct. 23, 1978;  44 FR 76295 , Dec. 26, 1979]