60BB-5.024: Conduct of the Hearing
PURPOSE AND EFFECT: To require that an appeals referee state on the record the reason for refusing to accept into evidence written or physical material presented at the hearing.
SUBJECT AREA TO BE ADDRESSED: Unemployment Benefits Appeal Hearing.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY: 443.012(11) FS.
LAW IMPLEMENTED: 443.151(4) FS.
IF REQUESTED IN WRITING AND NOT DEEMED UNNECESSARY BY THE AGENCY HEAD, A RULE DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP WILL BE NOTICED IN THE NEXT AVAILABLE FLORIDA ADMINISTRATIVE WEEKLY.
THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT AND A COPY OF THE PRELIMINARY DRAFT, IF AVAILABLE, IS: Dorothy Johnson, Deputy General Counsel, Office of the Unemployment Appeals Commission, 101 Rhyne Building, 2740 Centerview Drive, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-4151, (850)487-2685
THE PRELIMINARY TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE DEVELOPMENT IS:
60BB-5.024 Conduct of the Hearing.
(1) through (2) No change.
(3) Evidence.
(a) through (c) No change.
(d) The hearing need not be conducted according to the technical rules regarding evidence and witnesses. When the appeals referee declines to accept as evidence any written or physical material presented for consideration, the appeals referee should specifically address on the record or in the written decision the reason the material was rejected. A party or the party’s representative may state an objection to the referee’s acceptance of written or physical material or refusal to accept written or physical material as evidence. Irrelevant, immaterial or unduly repetitious evidence shall be excluded, but all other evidence of a type commonly relied upon by reasonable persons in the conduct of their affairs shall be admissible, whether or not such evidence would be admissible in a trial in the courts of Florida. Hearsay evidence may be used for the purpose of supplementing or explaining other evidence, but it shall not be sufficient in itself to support a finding of fact unless it would be admissible over objection in civil actions. A party or the party’s representative may also advise the appeals referee of a defect in the character of any evidence introduced by voicing an objection. The objecting party shall be given an opportunity to explain the grounds for the objection. Failure of a party to voice an objection to any evidence introduced at the hearing or to the referee’s refusal to accept as evidence any written or physical material shall not prevent the party from raising the objection on appeal to the Unemployment Appeals Commission.