Petition for review means a petition asking the appropriate Reviewing Official to exercise his or her discretionary right of review of staff action.

Precedent means applicable judicial decisions and decisions by the Department, or by its predecessor where consistent with Department policy.

Reviewing Official means the Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs, the General Counsel, or the Director of the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, as appropriate to the subject matter under review, but not with regard to General Counsel and Administrative Law Judge decisions made under this part.

Staff action means the exercise of a function under Subparts I, II and IV of Subtitle VII of Title 49 of the United States Code (Transportation) by a staff member pursuant to assignment under this part.

Staff members means officers and employees of the Department who are assigned authority under this part.

This part describes the organization of the Department insofar as, pursuant to authority conferred on it by section 40113 of 49 U.S.C. Subtitle VII, the Department has adopted rules herein or elsewhere which make continuing assignments of authority with respect to any of its functions of making orders or other determinations, many of which are not required to be made on an evidentiary record upon notice and hearing or which are not the subject of contest, and Department personnel have been assigned to perform such functions. Delegations by the Secretary of Transportation to Secretarial Officers of functions under Subparts I, II, and IV of 49 U.S.C. Subtitle VII appear in 49 CFR part 1. This part also sets forth the procedures governing discretionary review by the appropriate Reviewing Official of action taken under such assignments. Nothing in this part shall be construed as precluding the Department from issuing, by appropriate order, temporary delegations of authority with respect to any functions described in this part or with respect to any other functions which can be lawfully delegated.

Applications for relief which, pursuant to this part, may be granted by staff members under assigned authority, and proceedings on such requests shall be governed by applicable rules in the same manner as if no assignment had been made (see § 385.5). In such proceedings, each staff member may determine any procedural matters which may arise, including, inter alia, service of documents on additional persons; filing of otherwise unauthorized documents; waivers of procedural requirements; requests for hearing; requests for additional information; dismissal of applications upon the applicant's request, moot applications, or incomplete or otherwise defective applications; and extensions of time. Such determinations, except those which would terminate the matter, shall be subject to review only in connection with review of the staff member's decision on the merits. The dismissal of incomplete or otherwise defective applications under authority set forth in this part shall be without prejudice except where under otherwise applicable law the time for making application has run out or where the defect is not corrected within a reasonable time fixed by the staff member. Under the authority assigned to the staff as set forth in this part to approve, disapprove, grant, or deny, relief may be granted or denied in part and grants may be made subject to lawful and reasonable conditions. Moreover, where applicable, the authority to grant relief also includes authority to renew or extend an existing authorization.

Unless otherwise specified, staff action shall be by order or informal writing (letters, telegrams, decision marked on copy of application form, etc.). Such orders or informal writings shall contain a recital that action is taken pursuant to authority assigned herein, shall, in cases where there are “parties or interveners,” or where there may be an adverse effect upon a person with a substantial interest, contain a brief reference to the right of aggrieved parties to petition the Reviewing Official for review pursuant to applicable procedural rules, including a statement of the time within which petitions must be filed (§ 385.51); shall state whether the filing of a petition shall preclude the action from becoming effective; and shall be in the name of the person exercising the assigned function. They shall contain all findings, determinations and conclusions which would be required or appropriate if they were issued by the Secretary. Upon request, the appropriate Department Official shall attest as Departmental action orders or informal writings issued pursuant to this part which have become the action of the Department (§ 385.52).

Procedures set forth in this part do not supersede procedures applicable to matters on which decision has been assigned unless otherwise specifically provided herein: Provided, however, That any provisions in other regulations which provide for reconsideration of nonhearing determinations are not applicable to decisions made under authority assigned herein or to decisions made upon review thereof by the Reviewing Official.

When the staff member finds that the public interest so requires, or that, with respect to other than matters requiring immediate action as hereafter specified, there will be insufficient time for discretionary review of his or her decision upon petition, the staff member shall, in lieu of exercising the authority, submit the matter to the Reviewing Official for decision. In any case in which the staff member finds that immediate action is required with respect to any matter assigned herein, the disposition of which is governed by prior precedent and policy, the staff member may take appropriate action and specify that the filing of a petition for review shall not preclude such action from becoming effective.

Any assignment of authority to a staff member other than the Chief Administrative Law Judge, the Administrative Law Judge, and the General Counsel, shall also be deemed to be made, severally, to each such staff member's respective superiors. In accordance with the Department's principle of management responsibility, the superior may choose to exercise the assigned power personally. Moreover, the Secretary may at any time exercise any authority assigned herein.

Unless the assignment provides otherwise, staff members serving in an “acting” capacity may exercise the authority assigned to the staff members for whom they are acting.