(a) General. Any proceedings may be reopened by the Commission at any time, either on its own initiative or upon petition of any party to the proceedings.

(b) Exception. Proceedings arising under the Flammable Fabrics Act shall not be reopened while pending in a United States court of appeals on a petition for review after the transcript of the record has been filed, or while pending in the Supreme Court of the United States.

(c) Commission-originated reopening—(1) Before effective date of order. At any time before the effective date of a Commission order, the Commission may, upon its own initiative and without prior notice to the parties, reopen any proceedings and enter a new decision or order to modify or set aside, in whole or in part, the decision or order previously issued.

(2) After effective date of order. Whenever the Commission is of the opinion that changed conditions of fact or law or the public interest may require that a Commission decision or order be altered, modified, or set aside in whole or in part, the Commission shall serve upon all parties to the original proceedings an order to show cause, stating the changes the Commission proposes to make in the decision or order and the reasons such changes are deemed necessary. Within thirty (30) days after service of an order to show cause, any party to the original proceedings, may file a response. Any party not responding to the order to show cause within the time allowed shall be considered to have consented to the proposed changes.

(d) Petition for reopening. Whenever any person subject to a final order is of the opinion that changed conditions of fact or law require that the decision or order be altered, modified, or set aside, or that the public interest so requires, that person may petition the Commission to reopen the proceedings. The petition shall state the changes desired and the reasons those changes should be made, and shall include such supporting evidence and argument as will, in the absence of any opposition, provide the basis for a Commission decision on the petition. The petition shall be served upon all parties to the original proceedings. Within thirty (30) days after service of the petition, Complaint Counsel shall file a response. Any other party to the original proceedings also may file a response within that period.

(e) Hearings—(1) Unopposed. Where an order to show cause or petition to reopen is not opposed, or is opposed but the pleadings do not raise issues of fact to be resolved, the Commission, in its discretion, may decide the matter on the order to show cause or petition and responses, or it may serve upon the parties a notice of hearing containing the date when the matter will be heard. The proceedings normally will be limited to the filing of briefs but may include oral argument when deemed necessary by the Commission.

(2) Factual issues. When the pleadings raise substantial factual issues, the Commission may direct such hearings as it deems appropriate. Upon conclusion of the hearings, and after opportunity for the parties to file post-hearing briefs containing proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law, as well as a proposed order, the Presiding Officer shall issue a Recommended Decision, including proposed findings and conclusions, and the reasons, as well as a proposed Commission order. If the Presiding Officer recommends that the Commission's original order be reopened, the proposed order shall include appropriate provisions for the alteration, modification or setting aside of the original order. The record and the Presiding Officer's Recommended Decision shall be certified to the Commission for final disposition of the matter.

(f) Commission disposition. Where the Commission has ordered a hearing, upon receipt of the Presiding Officer's Recommended Decision, the Commission shall make a decision and issue an order based on the hearing record as a whole. If the Commission determines that changed conditions of fact or law or the public interest requires, it shall reopen the order previously issued; alter, modify, or set aside the order's provisions in whole or in part; and issue an amended order reflecting the alterations, modifications, or deletions. If the Commission determines that the original order should not be reopened, it shall issue an order affirming the original order. A decision stating the reasons for the Commission's order shall accompany the order.