QBfficeof ttje Igttornep QSenerat
Bttatr af nxae
DAN MORALES
Al-rORNEY
GENERAL June 24,1993
Mr. Fred S. Bhkky, Jr., RX. OpinionNo. DM-231
E Directorkcretwy
TexasStateBoardofPbarmacy Re: Whether a quorm ofa licensinghoard
8505 Cross Park Drive, Suite 110 attend@ a ticcttsee disciplimy hauing
hstio,Texas 787544594 conducted by the state OJLECCof
. . .
AdWlWWCHWfitlgSlMyUlfkCtilldhgS
of f&t, conclllsions of law, and vote on
discipline without lec&ng &out the state
of3iceof-Hearingsapropoatll
for decision (RQ-408)
Dar Mr. Brinkley:
ThelegblamctwtedtheSOAHin1991by~SulateBiu884. SeeActs
1991,72d Leg., ch. 591, at 2127-28 (codified V.T.C.S. article 6252-130. The I~
d~~theSOAHtoconduct~~~incomeotedcasaundatbc
. . .
Admmwaw Procedure and Texas Rqister Act (IAP’llU”). V.T.C.S. article 6252-13~
thatmbcfon~clgency~doesnotemployaparonwhosesoledutyistopresideas~a
harings officer over matters related to wntestcd cases hefore the agencyP V.T.C.S. art.
652513$5 2(h). The k@latwe hoped that the implawntation of Senate Bii 884 would
accomplish at least two purposes. Fii the legishue hoped to incraw economic
eakimcy by pooling the resources of smaller agaGes that are unable to employ iilll-time
p. 1196
Mr. Fred S. Brbkky, Jr., R.Ph. - Page 2 (Un-231)
. . .
adamsmmlawjudgea. Sewnd,thcl~hopedtocrrrtcm-
judk+ifldqmdentoftheagencythatcouldhalrobjcciively-dispPrtes.
Heatiqs on Senate Bill 884 Before the Senate Comm. on State Af&rs (Apr. 8,lWl)
(tudmony of Senator l&&or& author) (tape availableti Samte Staff Savices).
Among other thinga, Senate Bill 884 added article 6252-I3f to the Revised Cii
htutea. Scr Acts 1991.72d Leg., ch. 591,@ l-4 at 2127-28. Section 3(b) ofatticle
6252-13f at&or&s an ad&katk lawjudm to parform the Mowing kstiomz
(3) Nlewquati~ofsvidara;
(4)k3ueonksfdatiagtodiscovaryaadotilerbenriogor
lsdmrhg~incJudingordersbnposingsanctionstllattllc
age.ncythatthecomtaluaeiabeforemayimpo~albjectto
reviewbytheagenqy and
(5) issueproposalsiixdecisionthatin&deiindiqaoftbctmd
amclusi~oflaw.
.!hdwStateOf6ceofA’ “. ‘keHem@a, 17Tex.Re&644243(1992)(tok
cod&d at 1 TALC. 85 155.15(b), 155.51). You bokve that this provkm aterdy
admizu,hutdoe3notrequ&anadt&WahlawjudgefbrtheSOAHtoiasuea
propoulfbrdecisionand-nrpporclyourwntwdontbattbeboardnmytnakeita
own6ndingsoffhctandconddonaoflawafter~a~onadbciplisrry
matterbeforethesoAH. Howevcr,theplainlaquagcofotha~L?fSalatcBin
884, as well as the bill’s IegiWve history, indicates that the legkkure intended the
SOAHtomake6ndingaofiictandconcllmiolmoflawottmzuterabeforek Theagency
XWpOd&tbC~kwjUdge'S~8Udcondurionr,bUt~bl
c4xnpliaucewiththe~statedillSumteBiu884.
APTl&aswdlastllerulesofpncdceandpmwdurebefbretbebw4gownr
laydisciplinary~ontheboudtalresundaraction26oftheTaarP~Ad.
V.T.C.S. tide 4542a-1. V.T.C.S. art. 4542e-1.0 27. Sennte BiU884 added to APTRA
aection 13(j). which provides as follows:
This subsection applies only to an ndminiararivs law judge
employedbytheStateOfiiceofAdministrativeHwtings. The
. . .
lldnnmstratnnlawjudgewhoconductsthehcatiagshallconsiderany
applicable agenq n&s or policiesin conductingthe hearing, but rnqY
nolbrsuprrvisdby~~agrncyuVrrthrcoatrsledccwisbrfopr.
TheagmcystmllprovidetheadmbUa&lawjudgcwithawrincn
statanent of applicable rules or policies. An wv q mr q
p. 1197
Mr. Fred S. Brinldey.Jr., RPh. - Page 3 (m-231)
~ilwzingprocess: theajp%cymustprovidetheadmi&&velawjudgewitll
awritten~ofrulerorpoliciarit~-rrenlevanttothcorrte3tedg#(sn
&oStateOEccofM “. tiveHear+s,17Te~Reg.6441(1992)(tobecodi6edat
1 T.A.C. 0 155.5(c)); the agency may present evidence and legal aqumatt to the
. . . .
Thclq&tivehistoryofSenateBiU884sqportsourdct~ Amanber
oftbecommitteetbatd&edSenateBill884tati&dheforetheHouscComt&aon
StateAGrsthattlteumlminahadtriedto~rbilraa~thepowsnofthe
agwcyaKlthesoAH. Hearingsws.B.884B&rctbeHouseCormnonstate~
(Mry6.1991)(tcrthnoayofReggieJpnes,~colrnmvnUllion)(trpe
available i+om House Committee Coo&ator). Section S(b) of tha big whirb added
tectiw13(i)toApTRA,~culateJthc~thecormnineercnrcl:tbesoAHis
~~lefor~~~gtotheagcncy~~offact~~~oflaw,but
thelylencyhsstheuhimateauthoritytoapprovetheproposalfordeciskm. Srcid.
Fmthumore, the committee draf&l the bill to restrict an agenq+s powa to ovaturn
. . .
~~wjudge’sdccisionbypamittingtheagencytochangea
~f&oraconclusionoflawonlyforpolicyreasonsandoniyinwriting. Seeid.
Inour~~~rhelegislatunwMtedtoensun~~w~~thatwererequindto
use the services of the SOAH would not intafere with the administmtive law judge’s
decision. See id. (testimony ?f.Judith Sokolow, representing Advocacy. Inc.) (testi@ng
about need for impa~M admmc%mtivehearings conducted by judiciary independent of
agency); id. (testimony of Mary Jo -den, representing T~ras Planniq Council for
p. 1198
Mr.FredS.Bdnkky, Jr.,R.Ph. - Page 4 (DH-231)
DeveloptnentalDhbUities)(same). Unti&ther&mm~hasrroeivtdapmpuaal
fordecision5omtheadministntivckwjudge,tlteageatcycanparticipateinthe
. . .
rdrmmstntlve~OnlybypreKntingevideaamdlMkillg~UgUalWt~tbC
hedq. See V.T.C.S. art. 625243a, 0 13(j); Hearing on Senata Bill 884 Before the
House Conun. on State ASairs (May 41991) (tutimmy ofLinda Sword,
.-y@
O5ceoftheAftonlcyGauxat)(tapeavaihble6umIiousa~coordrmtor.
We do not believe that article 625243f motion 3(b), V.T.C.S., ammdiu~ this
wndurion~itrrrtuthatm~kwjudge”mry.’inrtadaf”rhg
issueapropomltardecihn. Inthispro%on,~meaus”tobaveauthityto”or”to
be pen&ted to: See B. G&tN8& hiODERNLEGALU8ME 98.354 (1987). Section 3(b)
hstswwraltasksmadhismhlawjudge”may”perfotm. ThebillamiysisforSawc
Bill884deraibestheIisthr#ctiw3(b)rcl’p~of~irwjudga. A
”ptlm@vcis’mardwivcorspecialrigllt,power,orprivil~: as...onebdoqing
tOMofliiar~UtOffiCi8lbody.* w8R8IER?3lQrmiN8w caLEGlAlBDlcnoNARY
930 (1990). we bdiew that the cbaractwizstkm of section 3(b) as a list of pfemgha is
wMiatwt*thel~intMt: tllel~intaldal~vfeo*thoseagenciu
raplydtoutilizethe ssmicosofthesoAH,tbesoAyandonlytbesoAH,is
allth&toconductann~andissuetllepropoulfbrdeoisiou The
agaK&-tomodifythepmponlbutonlyin~rdancewitb8ectioo13oof
You8r@lethtaection150fAPTRAat&orkutllebo8rdtofbnsorraiviag8
propoaal~d~~fiantheSOAHifamcljorityodtheboardmrrmknbve&ardtbe
caseorteadthetecord. Section15providesiaperhcntpartasfo~
Ifinaumtesedaseatn&ityoftbcofEcihoftbeagutfy
wlwamtoratdmthe6mldecisionbavmaotkardthecaseorrad
therewn&thedecisi~ifadvusetoaparkytothepPocsadiag0tbu
thantheagenq-its@maynotbemadetmtilaproposslfbrdaGon
isswvedonthepartia,andanop&Mxm&taffordedtoucllparty
advemlya&ctedto6leexceptionsandpremtbriefktotheofficials
wlloaretorenderthedecision.
SectionlSdoeonot~an~~toforagorrcdvinga~~ford~oa~
tbeSOAHinanyc&mstam. FortboscagcnciestbatarcsubjccttoApTRAandtht
must use the suvicu of the SOAH, section 13(j) of APTR& together witb uticle
6252-13$ section 3(b), V.T.C.S., requires the SOAH admhhhe law judge to conduct
a hearing and prepare a proposal for decision for the agq@ approval. If the
. . .
admuwmm law judge proposes a decision that will be adverse to a party to the
proc#dingotherthantheeg~,sectionlSprovidepthattheagmcycarmotrrndaaS
final de&ion until it has satisfied the rquiranents articulated in section 15.
p. 1199
Mr. Fred S. Brinkley, Jr.. RPh. - Page 5 (DM-231)
Youalsosuggestthatbecausemmyumtestalcasubeforrtheboardinvolvea
pharmakt accused ofillegally diverdng controlled substances the board should be able to
rcvoketheaaalsedpharmfi&sli-wm-perilbasia. Youamtaldthat
requiriagrucbacaseto~befonan~kwjudgeoftheSOAHwilldday
ruchMnorda,~a.#iousthreattothepublichealthandwelfue.’ Wenote,
however, tlmt article 6252-132 section 3(c), V.T.C.S.. rcquks the SOAH to bear a case
withinareaao&letime. scC&StateO&eofMnrinimativeHeakgs,17Tex.Reg.
2565. 6442, 6443 (1992) (to be c&&xl at 1 T&C. 00 155.15(a)(2), 157.1(a)).
~~,~~19AofApTRArutborizcstnilesncy,includiagthebwd,tonquest
thcittorneygmaaltobringm~winadirtriacourtwithjurisdictionovathemwa
to compel compliancewith an agency rule. .Qe 28 T.A.C. 0 281.24(a)(3), (4), (5) @sting
rmong~fordiscipline~o~~~Mddistributi0nofdrugsinvi0lation
of Controlled Sub- Act and Dangenw Drug Act). Se&on 17(k) of the Texas
pharrnaq Act, V.T.C.S. article 4542a-1. also authorizes the board to sue in district comt
to ruttain or enjoin a person from violating article 4542a-1. See V.T.C.S. att. 4542a-1,
0 26(a)(9) (pvidhg that board may disciplinepharmakt who violates any pr0vision of
tbe Controlled Substanw Act or Daqenws Drug Act). In our opinion, the~&w, the
aknat&sbywhi0hitmayscektorWrainorenjoinapharma&t~illegally
p. 1200
Mr. Fred S. Brinkley, Jr., RPh. - Pale 6 @M-231)
Abswtreaclhganagrud5aldisposltionofamatm.a
uculsingboardtlmtirrrequhedtousethe SCWiOUOft&SWtCOBOG
ofAdmiGmkH~mayaotmekeitaown~of~
ccldusion$oflaw,ofvateondiscipiine. InstaK&ttKIboardunlsl
rcccivcf.tomtheSOAHrpropomlfbrde&ion,whichthcboludmry
xmdiQonlyincomplianawithsecdon13~)ofthe-
Pmwduru and Teas Registu Act, V.T.C.S. article 6252-13~
Fmthamorc,8bOtKdlUQ-aotpIWU@b~NlegiViOgitthC
alalitytomakeitsown6ndlngsoffactandamclusionsoflaw.
DAN MORALES
AttOXIWGmmlGfTaU
WlLL PRYOR
FnrtASS<AnonryGenaJ
MARYKELLER
DepulyAttwntyGenualfrw~on
BmEAHlcKs
statefblstor
MADELEJNE B. JOHNSON
chak,Gpildoncomadttee
p. 1201