--- kind: "range" citation: "20 C.F.R. §§ 702.316–702.319" title: "20" from: "702.316" to: "702.319" count: 4 url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/20/702.316..702.319" --- # §702.316. Conclusion of conference; no agreement on all matters with respect to the claim. When it becomes apparent during the course of the informal conference that agreement on all issues cannot be reached, the district director shall bring the conference to a close, shall evaluate all evidence available to him or her, and after such evaluation shall prepare a memorandum of conference setting forth all outstanding issues, such facts or allegations as appear material and his or her recommendations and rationale for resolution of such issues. Copies of this memorandum shall then be sent to each of the parties or their representatives, who shall then have 14 days within which to signify in writing to the district director whether they agree or disagree with his or her recommendations. If they agree, the district director shall proceed as in [§ 702.315(a)](/cfr/20/702.315.md?p=a). If they disagree (Caution: See [§ 702.134](/cfr/20/702.134.md)), then the district director may schedule such further conference or conferences as, in his or her opinion, may bring about agreement; if he or she is satisfied that any further conference would be unproductive, or if any party has requested a hearing, the district director shall prepare the case for transfer to the Office of the Chief Administrative Law Judge (See [§ 702.317](/cfr/20/702.317.md), [§§ 702.331-702.351](/cfr/20/702.331-702.351.md)). # §702.317. Preparation and transfer of the case for hearing. A case is prepared for transfer in the following manner: - (a) The district director will furnish each of the parties or their representatives with a copy of a prehearing statement form. - (b) Each party must, within 21 days after receipt of such form, complete it and return it to the district director and serve copies on all other parties. Extensions of time for good cause may be granted by the district director. - (c) Upon receipt of the completed forms, the district director, after checking them for completeness and after any further conferences that, in his or her opinion, are warranted, will transmit them to the Office of the Chief Administrative Law Judge by letter of transmittal together with all available evidence which the parties intend to submit at the hearings (exclusive of X-rays, slides and other materials not suitable for transmission which may be offered into evidence at the time of the hearing); the materials transmitted must not include any recommendations expressed or memoranda prepared by the district director pursuant to [§ 702.316](/cfr/20/702.316.md). - (d) If the completed pre-hearing statement forms raise new or additional issues not previously considered by the district director or indicate that material evidence will be submitted that could reasonably have been made available to the district director before he or she prepared the last memorandum of conference, the district director will transfer the case to the Office of the Chief Administrative Law Judge only after having considered such issues or evaluated such evidence or both and having issued an additional memorandum of conference in conformance with [§ 702.316](/cfr/20/702.316.md). - (e) If a party fails to complete or return his or her pre-hearing statement form within the time allowed, the district director may, at his or her discretion, transmit the case without that party's form. However, such transmittal must include a statement from the district director setting forth the circumstances causing the failure to include the form, and such party's failure to submit a pre-hearing statement form may, subject to rebuttal at the formal hearing, be considered by the administrative law judge, to the extent intransigence is relevant, in subsequent rulings on motions which may be made in the course of the formal hearing. # §702.318. The record; what constitutes; nontransferability of the administrative file. For the purpose of any further proceedings under the Act, the formal record of proceedings shall consist of the hearing record made before the administrative law judge (see [§ 702.344](/cfr/20/702.344.md)). When transferring the case for hearing pursuant to [§ 702.317](/cfr/20/702.317.md), the district director shall not transfer the administrative file under any circumstances. # §702.319. Obtaining documents from the administrative file for reintroduction at formal hearings. Whenever any party considers any document in the administrative file essential to any further proceedings under the Act, it is the responsibility of such party to obtain such document from the district director and reintroduce it for the record before the administrative law judge. The type of document that may be obtained will be limited to documents previously submitted to the district director, including documents or forms with respect to notices, claims, controversions, contests, progress reports, medical services or supplies, etc. The work products of the district director or his staff will not be subject to retrieval. The procedure for obtaining documents will be for the requesting party to inform the district director in writing of the documents he wishes to obtain, specifying them with particularity. Upon receipt, the district director must promptly forward a copy of the requested materials to the requesting party. A copy of the letter of request and a statement of whether it has been satisfied must be kept in the case file.