Section 25-4-94

Powers and duties of board of appeals for Department of Industrial Relations.

(a) The board of appeals for the Department of Industrial Relations, created by Section 25-2-12, may, on its own motion at any time before a decision of an appeals tribunal becomes final, affirm, modify or set aside any such decision on the basis of the evidence previously submitted in such case, or direct the taking of additional evidence, or may permit any party in interest to initate an appeal to it. The board of appeals may remove to itself or transfer to another appeals tribunal the proceedings on any claim pending before an appeals tribunal. The board of appeals shall promptly notify in writing the parties to any proceedings of its findings and decision, together with the reasons therefor.

(b) Unless the application for appeal described in subsection (c) of Section 25-4-92 is granted by the board of appeals within 10 days after its filing with it, the applicant may, within the following 10 days, take an appeal from the decision of the appeals tribunal to the circuit court of the county of the residence of the claimant.

(c) The manner in which disputed claims before the board of appeals shall be presented and the conduct of hearing and appeals before it shall be in accordance with the regulations prescribed by the board of appeals for determining the rights of the parties. At any such hearing the parties shall be afforded a reasonable opportunity for fair hearing and all testimony shall be taken down or recorded but need not be transcribed except at the direction of the board of appeals in the exercise of its judgment and discretion. No person shall participate in the hearing or disposition of any claim as a member of the board if he has an interest therein.

(d) Any decision of the board of appeals, in the absence of an appeal therefrom as provided in this article, shall become final 10 days after the date notification thereof shall have been mailed, postage prepaid, to the parties to the proceeding, at their last known addresses. The director shall be deemed to be a party to all such proceedings and to any judicial action involving any such decision.

(Acts 1939, No. 497, p. 721; Code 1940, T. 26, §§219, 220; Acts 1982, No. 82-372, p. 533, §4.)