HA 3.05(2)(2) A request for a hearing may be made by the applicant, recipient or former recipient, by an immediate family member, or someone with legal authority to act on their behalf. The division in its discretion may require written authorization of such representation in an individual case or a type of case.

HA 3.05(2)(a)(a) A request for a hearing may be made in writing or orally and may be made to the agency or the division. An oral request to the agency shall be reduced to writing by the agency and signed by the petitioner, except that a request involving only food stamps need not be signed. An agency receiving a hearing request shall immediately date-stamp the request and forward it to the division.

HA 3.05(2)(b)(b) The hearing request shall include a short statement of the matter to be reviewed. If it is unclear from the request what action the person seeks to appeal or whether the petitioner has standing to obtain a hearing, the division may request clarification before taking action on the request.

HA 3.05 NoteNote: A hearing request should be addressed to the Division of Hearings and Appeals, P.O. Box 7875, Madison, Wisconsin 53707. Appeals may be delivered in person to that office at 5005 University Avenue, Room 201, Madison, Wisconsin.

HA 3.05(3)(3) Except as provided in par. (a) or (b), the petitioner shall have 45 days from the effective date of the adverse action specified under s. HA 3.03 in which to file a hearing request.

HA 3.05(3)(a)(a) For a hearing request relating to food stamps, the petitioner has 90 days from the date of the action specified under s. HA 3.03 in which to file the hearing request.

HA 3.05(3)(b)(b) If a different time limit for a hearing request is specified by state statute, administrative rule or federal regulation, that limit shall apply and shall be stated in the notification of Right to Appeal in the decision.

HA 3.05(3)(c)(c) A hearing request shall be considered filed on the date of actual receipt by the division or agency, or the date of the postmark, whichever is earlier. A request filed by facsimile is complete upon transmission. If the request is filed by facsimile transmission and such transmission is completed between 5 p. m. and midnight, 1 day shall be added to the prescribed period.

HA 3.05(4)(4) The division shall deny or dismiss a hearing request under any of the following circumstances:

HA 3.05(4)(c)(c) The sole issue is one of state or federal law requiring automatic grant adjustments for classes of recipients, unless the issue being contested is that eligibility or benefits were improperly computed or that federal law or regulation is being misapplied or misinterpreted by the department.

HA 3.05(4)(d)(d) The petitioner has abandoned the hearing request. The division shall determine that abandonment has occurred when the petitioner, without good cause, fails to appear personally or by representative at the time and place set for the hearing. Abandonment may also be deemed to have occurred when the petitioner or the authorized representative fails to respond within a reasonable time to correspondence from the division regarding the hearing.

HA 3.05(5)(5) In cases involving discontinuance, reduction, suspension of assistance or benefits or change in the form of payment of assistance, the division shall order that the adverse action be stayed and benefits continued unchanged pending the hearing decision if the hearing request was filed within the time limits specified in 42 CFR 431.230 and 431.231 for medicaid or within the time limits specified in 7 CFR 273.13 and subject to the exceptions therein for food stamps or, for social services and public assistance, if the hearing request was filed prior to the effective date of the adverse action.

HA 3.05(6)(6) The division shall acknowledge the receipt of a hearing request to the petitioner and the agency or department which took the action or made the decision under appeal, and shall request that the agency or department promptly provide a summary statement concerning the action or decision, including the reason for the action or decision.

HA 3.06(1)(1) A hearing shall be held at a time reasonably convenient to the petitioner, department or agency staff and the administrative law judge, shall be easily accessible to the petitioner and, whenever possible, shall be held on department or agency premises, subject to the judgment of the administrative law judge.

HA 3.06(2)(2) A petitioner in need of special arrangements for the hearing, such as an interpreter or a hearing site other than the county agency, shall notify the division of this need no later than 5 days prior to the hearing.

HA 3.06(3)(3) At least 10 days before the hearing, the division shall provide written notice to the petitioner and the petitioner’s representative, if any, of the time, date and place of the hearing.

HA 3.06(4)(4) The division may postpone a hearing for good cause. In food stamp cases, a petitioner may request and is entitled to receive a postponement of the scheduled hearing of up to 30 days.

HA 3.06(5)(5) The parties may be directed by the administrative law judge to appear at a conference or to participate in a telephone conference to consider how issues might be clarified or simplified, whether facts or documents which may be admitted which will avoid unnecessary proof, or any other matter that may aid in the disposition of the appeal.

HA 3.06(6)(6) The petitioner or petitioner’s representative shall have an opportunity to do all of the following:

HA 3.06(6)(a)(a) Examine at a reasonable time before the date of the hearing and during the hearing all documents and records to be used or that are used at the hearing, and the content of the applicant’s or recipient’s case file, in accordance with 7 CFR 273.15(p) or 42 CFR 431.242.