(a) Party representatives with authority to negotiate a settlement and all other persons necessary to negotiate a settlement must attend the settlement conference in person or virtually through video conferencing.     
      (b) Parties and their representatives attending the settlement conference shall attend in good faith and make a good faith effort to settle the dispute.     
      (c) If a party declines to attend a settlement conference, the department shall notify the requesting party of that fact and issue a closing report on the matter.     
     Source Note:        The provisions of this §1.604 adopted to be effective September 22, 1997, 22 TexReg 9242; amended to be effective February 7, 2023, 48 TexReg 505