(a) Hearings shall be reported and transcribed by a court reporter. Argument upon any matter may be excluded from the transcript by order of the presiding officer. A copy of the transcript shall be a part of the record and the sole official transcript of the proceeding. Copies of the transcript shall be supplied to the parties to the proceeding by the reporter at rates not to exceed the maximum rates fixed by contract between the Postal Service and the reporter. Copies of parts of the official record including exhibits admitted into evidence, other than the transcript, may be obtained by Respondent from the Recorder upon the payment of reasonable copying charges. Items that cannot reasonably be photocopied may be photographed and furnished in that form.

(b) Changes in the official transcript may be ordered by the presiding officer only to correct errors affecting substance and then only in the manner herein provided. Within 10 days after the receipt by any party of a copy of the official transcript, or any part thereof, he or she may file a motion requesting correction of the transcript. Opposing counsel shall, within such time as may be specified by the presiding officer, notify the presiding officer in writing of his or her concurrence or disagreement with the requested corrections. Failure to interpose timely objection to a proposed correction shall be considered to be concurrence. Thereafter, the presiding officer shall by order specify the corrections to be made in the transcript. The presiding officer on his or her own initiative may order corrections to be made in the transcript with prompt notice to the parties of the proceeding. Any changes ordered by the presiding officer other than by agreement of the parties shall be subject to objection and exception.