Where an examiner has been designated by the Board under this part to conduct a hearing with respect to a matter before it, the examiner shall preside at the hearing and shall cause all testimony to be recorded. The examiner shall, as soon as practicable following the conclusion of the hearing, mail to each party at the address stated in his or her appearance a free transcript of the record of the proceedings had before the examiner. Thereafter, the examiner shall give all parties participating in the hearing the opportunity to present argument upon both law and facts. Upon conclusion of the proceedings before him or her, the examiner shall prepare a report which, together with the record of the proceedings before him or her, shall be submitted to the Board. The report shall set forth the examiner's findings of fact, conclusions of law, and recommendations as to decision. The report may also contain such discussion of the question raised, both legal and factual, as the examiner may desire to present to the Board. A copy of the examiner's report shall be served by the examiner upon each party participating in the hearing by mailing such copy to each such party at the address stated in his or her appearance. Each party shall, within 30 days after the date of mailing to him or her of the examiner's report, file with the Board and serve upon other parties by mailing to their addresses as stated in their appearances such exceptions in writing as he or she desires to make to the examiner's findings of fact and conclusions of law. Each exception shall specifically designate the particular findings of fact or conclusions of law to which objection is taken, and shall set forth in detail the grounds for the objection. General exceptions and exceptions not specifically directed to particular findings of fact or conclusions of law will not be considered by the Board. Exceptions to findings of fact shall make specific reference by page numbers to those portions of the record upon which reliance is placed.

Each party shall have 10 days after receipt of exceptions taken by other parties in which to file with the Board replies to those exceptions. Replies to exceptions to findings of fact shall make specific reference by page number to those portions of the record upon which reliance is placed.

The Board may, upon the application of a party and for cause shown, extend the time for filing and serving of exceptions or filing of replies thereto. The Board will render its decision upon the record, the examiner's report, and such exceptions and replies thereto as are made.

The examiner's report shall be advisory only and the Board may, in any case, exercise its right to reject or adopt the examiner's report in whole or in part or adopt such report with modifications. Findings of fact to which no exceptions are taken will, subject only to the power of the Board upon its own consideration to reject or modify, be presumed to be correct.

The decision of the Board shall be communicated to the parties participating in the hearing within 30 days of the date upon which the decision of the Board is entered upon its records.