(a) Commission staff may gather or present documents or evidence, make recommendations, and otherwise communicate outside the presence of the respondent with commissioners in contemplation of, or in preparation for, a commission initiated preliminary review. Commissioners may request documents, evidence, or recommendations, and otherwise communicate with commission staff outside the presence of the respondent, in contemplation of, or in preparation for, a commission initiated preliminary review.     
      (b) A preliminary review initiated by the commission under section 571.124(b) of the Government Code is deemed to be a complaint for purposes of all further proceedings under chapter 571 of the Government Code and of this chapter.     
      (c) Documents or evidence gathered by the commission and commission staff in contemplation of, or in preparation for, a commission initiated preliminary review are related to the processing of a preliminary review or motion for the purposes of sections 571.139 and 571.140 of the Government Code.     
      (d) Discussions between the commission and commission staff regarding gathering documents or evidence in contemplation of, or in preparation for, a commission initiated preliminary review are related to the processing of a preliminary review or motion for the purposes of sections 571.139 and 571.140 of the Government Code.     
     Source Note:        The provisions of this §12.53 adopted to be effective December 31, 1993, 18 TexReg 9711; amended to be effective July 5, 2004, 29 TexReg 6251; amended to be effective May 3, 2016, 41 TexReg 3091; amended to be effective August 7, 2018, 43 TexReg 5056