(1) The OAH must send a copy of your hearing request to the department, unless the OAH received your hearing request from the department. The OAH should send it to the department within four business days of the OAH receiving your request.

(2) The OAH must send a notice of hearing to all parties and their representatives at least fourteen calendar days before the hearing date. The OAH must provide notice of seven or more business days if the case is about child support under chapter 388-14A WAC.

(3) If the OAH schedules a prehearing conference, the OAH must send a notice of prehearing conference to the parties and their representatives at least seven business days before the date of the prehearing conference except:

(a) The OAH and/or an ALJ may convert a scheduled hearing into a prehearing conference and provide less than seven business days notice of the prehearing conference; and

(b) The OAH may give less than seven business days notice if the only purpose of the prehearing conference is to consider whether there is good cause to grant a continuance under WAC 388-02-0280 (3)(b).

(4) The OAH and/or the ALJ must reschedule the hearing if necessary to comply with the notice requirements in this section.

(5) If the ALJ denies a continuance after a prehearing conference, the hearing may proceed on the scheduled hearing date, but the ALJ must still issue a written order regarding the denial of the continuance.

(6) You may ask for a prehearing meeting even after you have requested a hearing.