(a) Pleadings allowed. Pleadings allowed on review include a petition for review, which may be filed by either party, a response to a petition for review, and a reply to a response to a petition for review. Each party is limited to filing a single petition for review, response to a petition for review, and reply to a response to a petition for review.

(1) A petition for review is a pleading in which a party contends that an initial decision was incorrectly decided in whole or in part.

(2) A response to a petition for review may respond only to the arguments and assertions raised in the petition for review and does not contend that the initial decision was incorrectly decided in whole or in part. A response to another party's petition for review must be filed separately from a party's own petition for review.

(3) A reply to a response to a petition for review is limited to the factual and legal issues raised by another party in the response to the petition for review. It may not raise new allegations of error.

(4) No pleading other than the ones described in this paragraph is permitted unless the party files a motion with and obtains leave from the Clerk of the Board. The motion must briefly describe the nature of and need for the requested pleading, i.e., the motion must identify the requested pleading and briefly explain why the requested pleading is important. If the record is closed, as defined in paragraph (k) of this section, the motion must also show that the requested pleading is new and material, as defined in § 1201.115(a)(1) and (d), and that it was not readily available before the record closed. The party may not submit the requested pleading unless the Board issues an order granting the motion for leave. A filing characterized as a motion for leave that does not adhere to the above requirements will be rejected.

(b) Contents of petition for review. A petition for review states a party's objections to the initial decision, including all of the party's legal and factual arguments, and must be supported by references to applicable laws or regulations and by specific references to the record. Any petition for review that contains new evidence or argument must include an explanation of why the evidence or argument was not presented before the record below closed (see § 1201.59). A petition for review should not include documents that were part of the record below, as the entire administrative record will be available to the Board. A petition for review filed by an agency should address the agency's compliance with any interim relief requirements and should contain a certification, as set forth in § 1201.116(a).

(c) Who may file. Any party to the proceeding, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), or the Special Counsel (under 5 U.S.C. 1212(c)) may file a petition for review. The Director of OPM may request review only if he or she believes that the decision is erroneous and will have a substantial impact on any civil service law, rule, or regulation under OPM's jurisdiction. 5 U.S.C. 7701(e)(2). All submissions to the Board must contain the signature of the party or of the party's designated representative.

(d) Place for filing. All pleadings described in paragraph (a) and all motions and pleadings associated with them must be filed with the Clerk of the Merit Systems Protection Board, 1615 M Street NW., Washington, DC 20419, by commercial or personal delivery, by facsimile, by mail, or by electronic filing in accordance with 1201.14 of this part.

(e) Time for filing. Any petition for review must be filed within 35 days after the date of issuance of the initial decision or, if the petitioner shows that the initial decision was received more than 5 days after the date of issuance, within 30 days after the date the petitioner received the initial decision. For purposes of this section, the date that the petitioner receives the initial decision is determined according to the standard set forth at § 1201.22(b)(3), pertaining to an appellant's receipt of an agency decision. If the petitioner is represented, the 30-day time period begins to run upon receipt of the initial decision by either the representative or the petitioner, whichever comes first. Any response to a petition for review must be filed within 25 days after the date of service of the petition. Any reply to a response to a petition for review must be filed within 10 days after the date of service of the response to the petition for review. For purposes of this section, § 1201.23 governs the computation of time.

(f) Extension of time to file. The Board will grant a motion for extension of time to file a pleading described in paragraph (a) only if the party submitting the motion shows good cause. Motions for extensions must be filed with the Clerk of the Board on or before the date on which the petition or other pleading is due. The Board, in its discretion, may grant or deny those motions without providing the other parties the opportunity to comment on them. A motion for an extension must be accompanied by an affidavit or sworn statement under 28 U.S.C. 1746. (See Appendix IV.) The affidavit or sworn statement must include a specific and detailed description of the circumstances alleged to constitute good cause, and it should be accompanied by any available documentation or other evidence supporting the matters asserted.

(g) Late filings. Any pleading described in paragraph (a) of this section that is filed late must be accompanied by a motion that shows good cause for the untimely filing, unless the Board has specifically granted an extension of time under paragraph (f) of this section, or unless a motion for extension is pending before the Board. The motion must be accompanied by an affidavit or sworn statement under 28 U.S.C. 1746. (See appendix IV.) The affidavit or sworn statement must include: the reasons for failing to request an extension before the deadline for the submission, and a specific and detailed description of the circumstances causing the late filing, accompanied by supporting documentation or other evidence. Any response to the timeliness motion may be included in the response to the petition for review or may be filed separately. The response to the timeliness motion will not extend the time provided by paragraph (e) of this section to respond to the petition. In the absence of a motion, the Board may, in its discretion, determine on the basis of the existing record whether there was good cause for the untimely filing, or it may provide the party that submitted the pleading with an opportunity to show why it should not be dismissed or excluded as untimely.

(h) Length limitations. A petition for review, or a response to a petition for review, whether computer generated, typed, or handwritten, is limited to 30 pages or 7500 words. A reply to a response to a petition for review is limited to 15 pages or 3750 words. A party relying on word count to adhere to the length limitation must include certification of the word count with their pleading. Argument formatted such that the length of the pleading cannot be determined may be rejected. Computer generated and typed pleadings must use no less than 12-point typeface and 1-inch margins and must be double spaced and only use one side of a page. The length limitation is exclusive of any table of contents, table of authorities, attachments, and certificate of service. Length limitations may not be circumvented by including argument in attachments. Failure to comply with the length limitations set forth in this regulation, after sufficient opportunity to comply, may lead to dismissal of the petition for review. A request for leave to file a pleading that exceeds the limitations prescribed in this paragraph must be received by the Clerk of the Board at least 3 days before the filing deadline. Such requests must give the reasons for a waiver as well as the desired length of the pleading and are granted only in exceptional circumstances. The page and word limits set forth above are maximum limits. Parties are not expected or required to submit pleadings of the maximum length.

(i) Intervention. (1) By Director of OPM. The Director of OPM may intervene in a case before the Board under the standards stated in 5 U.S.C. 7701(d). The notice of intervention is timely if it is filed with the Clerk of the Board within 45 days of the date the petition for review was filed. If the Director requests additional time for filing a brief on intervention, the Board may, in its discretion, grant the request. A party may file a response to the Director's brief within 15 days of the date of service of that brief. The Director must serve the notice of intervention and the brief on all parties.

(2) By Special Counsel. (i) Under 5 U.S.C. 1212(c), the Special Counsel may intervene as a matter of right, except as provided in paragraph (i)(2)(ii) of this section. The notice of intervention is timely filed if it is filed with the Clerk of the Board within 45 days of the date the petition for review was filed. If the Special Counsel requests additional time for filing a brief on intervention, the Board may, in its discretion, grant the request. A party may file a response to the Special Counsel's brief within 15 days of the date of service. The Special Counsel must serve the notice of intervention and the brief on all parties.

(ii) The Special Counsel may not intervene in an action brought by an individual under 5 U.S.C. 1221,or.S.C. 7701, without the consent of that individual. The Special Counsel must present evidence that the individual has consented to the intervention at the time the motion to intervene is filed.

(3) Permissive intervenors. Any person, organization, or agency, by motion made in a petition for review, may ask for permission to intervene. The motion must state in detail the reasons why the person, organization, or agency should be permitted to intervene. A motion for permission to intervene will be granted if the requester shows that he or she will be affected directly by the outcome of the proceeding. Any person alleged to have committed a prohibited personnel practice under 5 U.S.C. 2302(b) may ask for permission to intervene.

(j) Service. A party submitting a pleading must serve a copy of it on each party and on each representative, as required by paragraph (b)(2) of § 1201.26.

(k) Closing the record. The record closes on expiration of the period for filing the last permissible pleading or the date on which the last permissible pleading is filed, whichever is earlier. Once the record closes, no additional argument or evidence may be filed without first requesting and receiving leave from the Clerk of the Board under paragraph (a)(4) of this section.

(l) Rejection for failure to comply. The Clerk of the Board may reject material submitted for filing that does not substantially conform to the procedural requirements of this subpart by issuing a rejection letter advising the parties of the nature of the nonconformity and the requirements and deadline for resubmission. Any deadlines affected by the rejection will be addressed in the rejection letter.

The Board normally will consider only issues raised in a timely filed petition for review. Situations in which the Board may grant a petition for review include, but are not limited to, a showing that:

(a) The initial decision contains erroneous findings of material fact.

(1) Any alleged factual error must be material, meaning of sufficient weight to warrant an outcome different from that of the initial decision.

(2) A petitioner who alleges that the judge made erroneous findings of material fact must explain why the challenged factual determination is incorrect and identify specific evidence in the record that demonstrates the error. In reviewing a claim of an erroneous finding of fact, the Board will give deference to an administrative judge's credibility determinations when they are based, explicitly or implicitly, on the observation of the demeanor of witnesses testifying at a hearing.

(b) The initial decision is based on an erroneous interpretation of statute or regulation or the erroneous application of the law to the facts of the case. The petitioner must explain how the error affected the outcome of the case.

(c) The judge's rulings during either the course of the appeal or the initial decision were not consistent with required procedures or involved an abuse of discretion, and the resulting error affected the outcome of the case.

(d) New and material evidence or legal argument is available that, despite the petitioner's due diligence, was not available when the record closed. To constitute new evidence, the information contained in the documents, not just the documents themselves, must have been unavailable despite due diligence when the record closed.

(e) Notwithstanding the above provisions in this section, the Board reserves the authority to consider any issue in an appeal before it.

(a) Certification of compliance. (1) If the appellant was the prevailing party in the initial decision, and the decision granted the appellant interim relief, any petition for review filed by the agency must be accompanied by a certification that the agency has complied with the interim relief order, either by:

(i) Providing the required interim relief; or

(ii) Satisfying the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 7701(b)(2)(A)(ii) and (B).

(2) Evidence of its compliance must accompany its petition for review. Failure by an agency to provide the certification and evidence required by this section with its petition for review may result in the dismissal of the agency's petition for review.

(b) Allegation of noncompliance in petition for review. If an appellant or an intervenor files a petition for review of an initial decision ordering interim relief and such petition includes a challenge to the agency's compliance with the interim relief order, the agency must submit evidence within 25 days of the date of service that it has provided the interim relief required or that it has satisfied the requirements of 5 U.S.C. 7701(b)(2)(A)(ii) and (B). The agency's evidence may be provided with any response to the petition for review or in a separate pleading.

(c) Request for dismissal for noncompliance with interim relief order. If the agency files a petition for review and the appellant believes the agency has not provided required interim relief, the appellant may request dismissal of the agency's petition. Any such request must be filed with the Clerk of the Board within 25 days of the date of service of the agency's petition, or within 25 days of the date upon which the appellant becomes aware that the agency has not provided, or has ceased to provide, interim relief. A copy of the request must be served on the agency at the same time it is filed with the Board. The agency may respond with evidence and argument to the appellant's request to dismiss within 15 days of the date of service of the request. If the appellant files a motion to dismiss beyond the time limit, the Board will dismiss the motion as untimely unless the appellant shows that it is based on information not readily available before the close of the time limit. Failure by an agency to provide the certification required by paragraph (a) of this section with its petition for review, or to provide evidence of compliance in response to a Board order, may result in the dismissal of the agency's petition for review.

(d) Back pay and attorney fees. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require any payment of back pay for the period preceding the date of the judge's initial decision or attorney fees before the decision of the Board becomes final.

(a) In any case that is reviewed, or reopened at the Board's discretion pursuant to § 1201.118, the Board may:

(1) Issue a decision that decides the case;

(2) Hear oral arguments;

(3) Require that briefs be filed;

(4) Remand the appeal so that the judge may take further testimony or evidence or make further findings or conclusions; or

(5) Take any other action necessary for final disposition of the case.

(b) The Board may affirm, reverse, modify, or vacate the initial decision of the judge, in whole or in part. The Board may issue a final decision and, when appropriate, order a date for compliance with that decision.

(c) The Board may issue a decision in the form of a precedential Opinion and Order or a nonprecedential Order.

(1) Opinion and Order. An Opinion and Order is a precedential decision of the Board and may be appropriately cited or referred to by any party.

(2) Nonprecedential Orders. A nonprecedential Order is one that the Board has determined does not add significantly to the body of MSPB case law. The Board may, in its discretion, include in nonprecedential Orders a discussion of the issue(s) to assist the parties in understanding the reason(s) for the Board's disposition in a particular appeal. Nonprecedential Orders are not binding on the Board or its administrative judges in any future appeals except when it is determined they have a preclusive effect on parties under the doctrines of res judicata (claim preclusion), collateral estoppel (issue preclusion), judicial estoppel, or law of the case. Parties may cite nonprecedential Orders, but such orders have no precedential value; the Board and its administrative judges are not required to follow or distinguish them in any future decisions. In contrast, a precedential decision issued as an Opinion and Order has been identified by the Board as significantly contributing to the Board's case law.

Regardless of any other provision of this part, the Board may at any time reopen any appeal in which it has issued a final order or in which an initial decision has become the Board's final decision by operation of law. The Board will exercise its discretion to reopen an appeal only in unusual or extraordinary circumstances and generally within a short period of time after the decision becomes final. The parties have no right to request reopening and no right to a response from the Board on a request for reopening. Any response to a request for reopening from the Office of the Clerk of the Board does not constitute a final order or decision of the Board, and thus is not subject to judicial review under 5 U.S.C. 7703 or § 1201.120.

(a) Criteria. Under 5 U.S.C. 7703(d), the Director of the Office of Personnel Management may file a petition for reconsideration of a Board final decision if he or she determines:

(1) That the Board erred in interpreting a civil service law, rule, or regulation affecting personnel management, and

(2) That the Board's decision will have a substantial impact on a civil service law, rule, regulation, or policy directive.

(b) Time limit. The Director must file the petition for reconsideration within 35 days after the date of service of the Board's final decision.

(c) Briefs. After the petition is filed, the Board will make the official record relating to the petition for reconsideration available to the Director for review. The Director's brief in support of the petition for reconsideration must be filed within 20 days after the Board makes the record available for review. Any party's opposition to the petition for reconsideration must be filed within 25 days from the date of service of the Director's brief.

(d) Stays. If the Director of OPM files a petition for reconsideration, he or she also may ask the Board to stay its final decision. An application for a stay, with a supporting memorandum, must be filed at the same time as the petition for reconsideration.

Any employee or applicant for employment who is adversely affected by a final order or decision of the Board under the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 7703 may obtain judicial review as provided by 5 U.S.C. 7703. As § 1201.175 of this part provides, an appropriate United States district court has jurisdiction over a request for judicial review of cases involving the kinds of discrimination issues described in 5 U.S.C. 7702.