Sec. 843.009.  APPEALS;  JUDICIAL REVIEW.  (a)  A person who is affected by a rule, ruling, or decision of the department or the commissioner is entitled to have the rule, ruling, or decision reviewed by the commissioner by applying to the commissioner.
(b)  An application must identify:
(1)  the applicant;
(2)  the rule, ruling, or decision affecting the applicant;
(3)  the interest of the applicant in the rule, ruling, or decision;
(4)  the grounds of the applicant's objection;
(5)  the action sought of the commissioner;  and
(6)  the reasons and grounds for the commissioner to take the action.
(c)  An applicant shall file the original application with the chief clerk of the department with a certification that a true and correct copy of the application has been filed with the commissioner.
(d)  Not later than the 30th day after the date the application is filed, and after 10 days' written notice to each party of record, the commissioner shall review the action in a hearing.  In the hearing, any evidence and any matter pertinent to the application may be submitted to the commissioner regardless of whether it was included in the application.
(e)  After the hearing, the commissioner shall render a decision at the earliest possible date.  The application has precedence over all other business of a different nature pending before the commissioner.
(f)  The commissioner shall adopt rules, consistent with this section, relating to applications under this section and consideration of those applications that the commissioner considers advisable.
(g)  A person who is affected by a rule, ruling, or decision of the commissioner and is dissatisfied with the rule, ruling, or decision may, after failing to get relief from the commissioner, file a petition seeking judicial review of the rule, ruling, or decision under Subchapter D, Chapter 36.  The action has precedence over all other causes on the docket of a different nature.
Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1419, Sec. 1, eff. June 1, 2003.