(a) Filing an application for review. A party must file an application for review with the Authority within sixty (60) days of the Regional Director's Decision and Order. The sixty (60) day time limit under 5 U.S.C. 7105(f) may not be extended or waived. The filing party must serve a copy on the Regional Director and all other parties, and must also file a statement of service with the Authority.

(b) Contents. An application for review must be sufficient for the Authority to rule on the application without looking at the record. However, the Authority may, in its discretion, examine the record in evaluating the application. An application must specify the matters and rulings to which exception(s) is taken, include a summary of evidence relating to any issue raised in the application, and make specific references to page citations in the transcript if a hearing was held. An application may not raise any issue or rely on any facts not timely presented to the Hearing Officer or Regional Director.

(c) Review. The Authority may grant an application for review only when the application demonstrates that review is warranted on one or more of the following grounds:

(1) The decision raises an issue for which there is an absence of precedent;

(2) Established law or policy warrants reconsideration; or,

(3) There is a genuine issue over whether the Regional Director has:

(i) Failed to apply established law;

(ii) Committed a prejudicial procedural error; or

(iii) Committed a clear and prejudicial error concerning a substantial factual matter.

(d) Opposition. A party may file with the Authority an opposition to an application for review within ten (10) days after the party is served with the application. The opposing party must serve a copy on the Regional Director and all other parties, and must also file a statement of service with the Authority.

(e) Regional Director Decision and Order becomes the Authority's action. A Decision and Order of a Regional Director becomes the action of the Authority when:

(1) No party files an application for review with the Authority within sixty (60) days after the date of the Regional Director's Decision and Order; or

(2) A party files a timely application for review with the Authority and the Authority does not undertake to grant review of the Regional Director's Decision and Order within sixty (60) days of the filing of the application; or

(3) The Authority denies an application for review of the Regional Director's Decision and Order.

(f) Authority grant of review and stay. The Authority may rule on the issue(s) in an application for review in its order granting the application for review. Neither filing nor granting an application for review will stay any action ordered by the Regional Director unless specifically ordered by the Authority.

(g) Briefs if review is granted. If the Authority does not rule on the issue(s) in the application for review in its order granting review, the Authority may, in its discretion, give the parties an opportunity to file briefs. The briefs will be limited to the issue(s) referenced in the Authority's order granting review.