(a) The Department shall grant an opportunity for a public hearing before adoption of any substantive rule as required by Government Code, §2001.029(b), or other applicable statute.     
      (b) The hearing may be held by the commissioner or by any other person designated by the commissioner. In the exercise of discretion, the commissioner may impose reasonable time limits on presentation of evidence and argument, determine the order of the presentations, and conduct the hearing in a manner suitable to the particular proceeding. Public hearings on proposed rules are neither contested cases nor full legal adversary proceedings. Ex parte prohibitions do not apply.     
     Source Note:        The provisions of this §97.501 adopted to be effective August 3, 2017, 42 TexReg 3744