Senate Bill 653 Summary

• Eliminates the requirement that administrative law judges return decisions to agencies for final agency decisions in contested cases; administrative law judges now make final decisions directly.

• Removes exceptions that previously allowed State Personnel Commission to make final decisions in certain local government employment cases; all cases now follow uniform procedures with administrative law judges making final decisions.

• Repeals G.S. 150B-36 and related provisions that established the two-step decision process where agencies could review and modify administrative law judges' recommended decisions.

• Allows administrative law judges to grant judgment on the pleadings or summary judgment as final decisions without requiring findings of fact or conclusions of law when appropriate.

• Applies to contested cases commenced on or after January 1, 2011, streamlining the administrative hearing process by eliminating the agency review step.