Sec. 1.243  Authority of presiding officer.

    From the time he is designated to preside until issuance of his 
decision or the transfer of the proceeding to the Commission or to 
another presiding officer the presiding officer shall have such 
authority as is vested in him by law and by the provisions of this 
chapter, including authority to:
    (a) Administer oaths and affirmations;
    (b) Issue subpenas;
    (c) Examine witnesses;
    (d) Rule upon questions of evidence;

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    (e) Take or cause depositions to be taken;
    (f) Regulate the course of the hearing, maintain decorum, and 
exclude from the hearing any person engaging in contemptuous conduct or 
otherwise disrupting the proceedings;
    (g) Require the filing of memoranda of law and the presentation of 
oral argument with respect to any question of law upon which he is 
required to rule during the course of the hearing;
    (h) Hold conferences for the settlement or simplification of the 
issues by consent of the parties;
    (i) Dispose of procedural requests or similar matters, as provided 
for in Sec. 0.341 of this chapter;
    (j) Take actions and make decisions in conformity with the 
Administrative Procedure Act;
    (k) Act on motions to enlarge, modify or delete the hearing issues; 
and
    (l) Act on motions to proceed in forma pauperis pursuant to 
Sec. 1.224.

(5 U.S.C. )
[28 556 FR 12425 , Nov. 22, 1963, as amended at  41 FR 53022 , Dec. 3, 1976]