(a) The chief administrative law judge or an administrative law judge employed or retained by the office is disqualified from a case in which the administrative law judge cannot accord a fair and impartial hearing or for other reasons established in the code of hearing officer conduct.

(b) A party may request the disqualification of the chief administrative law judge or another administrative law judge by filing an affidavit, before the taking of evidence at a hearing, stating with particularity the grounds upon which it is claimed that a fair and impartial hearing cannot be accorded by that administrative law judge. Notwithstanding AS 44.62.450(c), upon receipt of the affidavit, the administrative law judge assigned to the administrative hearing shall make a determination. If the affiant objects to the decision, the matter shall be decided by the chief administrative law judge, whose decision is final, or if the hearing is assigned to the chief administrative law judge, by the attorney general, whose decision is final.

(c) In addition to disqualification of an administrative law judge under (a) and (b) of this section, each side is entitled to change the assigned administrative law judge once. Two or more parties aligned on the same side of an action shall be treated as one side for purposes of this subsection, but the chief administrative law judge may allow an additional change to a party whose interests are adverse to the interests of another party on the same side. A party wishing to exercise the right to change the administrative law judge shall give notice to the chief administrative law judge within five days after notice is given that the case has been assigned. A party waives the right to a change in the assigned administrative law judge by participating before that administrative law judge in any proceeding or conference involving the case.