(a) The Judicial Officer is authorized:

(1) To act as presiding officer;

(2) To render tentative decisions;

(3) To render final agency decisions;

(4) To issue Postal Service orders for the Postmaster General;

(5) To refer the record in any proceeding to the Postmaster General or the Deputy Postmaster General for final agency decision;

(6) To remand a case to the presiding officer for consideration; and,

(7) To revise or amend these rules of practice.

(b) In determining appeals from initial decisions or exceptions to tentative decisions, the entire official record will be considered before a final agency decision is rendered. Before rendering a final agency decision, the Judicial Officer may order the hearing reopened for the presentation of additional evidence by the parties.