Petition for Reconsideration (Administrative Agency) - Arkansas

PETITION FOR RECONSIDERATION / PETITION FOR REHEARING

State of Arkansas — Arkansas Administrative Procedure Act (Ark. Code Ann. § 25-15-201 et seq.)

CRITICAL DEADLINE NOTICE — READ BEFORE FILING

Arkansas's Administrative Procedure Act (Ark. Code Ann. § 25-15-212) requires judicial review petitions to be filed within 30 days after service of the agency's final decision. Whether and how a petition for reconsideration tolls that deadline depends on agency-specific rules — the Arkansas APA does not set a uniform internal reconsideration deadline. You must consult the specific agency's procedural rules before filing.

Common agency-specific reconsideration deadlines in Arkansas:
- Arkansas Workers' Compensation Commission: this form's APA appeal directions do not govern Commission orders; its own appeal route leads to the Arkansas Court of Appeals.
- Arkansas Public Service Commission: a party may seek rehearing within 30 days after the order is mailed; review of its order proceeds in the Arkansas Court of Appeals after the rehearing process, under Ark. Code Ann. §§ 23-2-422–423.
- Department of Finance and Administration tax disputes use the Arkansas Tax Procedure Act and Tax Appeals Commission process, rather than the general APA circuit-court route described below. Confirm the specific assessment or refund procedure before using an agency petition.
- Arkansas Department of Human Services: specific hearing and appeal rules apply

Effect on judicial review in an APA-covered matter: Under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-15-212, judicial review proceedings are instituted by filing a petition in circuit court within 30 days after service of the agency's final decision. If a timely petition for reconsideration is filed with the agency and the agency's rules provide for tolling, the 30-day judicial review period may run from the date the reconsideration decision is served. Confirm with agency-specific rules and counsel.

ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT

This Petition for Reconsideration asks an Arkansas state administrative agency to review and change its own decision or order. For matters governed by the Arkansas APA, circuit-court review may follow. Whether reconsideration is available or required, and where review lies, depends on the agency's governing law.

Common agencies where this petition is used:

• Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) — licensing, benefits, Medicaid
• Arkansas Department of Health — facility and professional licensing
• Arkansas State Medical Board
• Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy
• Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing
• Arkansas Division of Environmental Quality (DEQ) — permit appeals proceed by hearing request to the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission under 8 CAR pt. 11
• Arkansas State Board of Education
• Arkansas Real Estate Commission
• Arkansas Insurance Department
• Arkansas Securities Department

GROUNDS FOR RECONSIDERATION CHECKLIST

Check all grounds that apply:

☐ Error of Law — The agency misapplied or misinterpreted a statute, regulation, or controlling legal standard

☐ Error of Fact / Substantial Evidence — The agency's factual findings are not supported by substantial evidence in the record as a whole

☐ Newly Discovered Evidence — Material evidence has been discovered that was not available at the time of the hearing and could not reasonably have been discovered with due diligence before the hearing

☐ Agency Exceeded Its Statutory Authority — The agency acted outside the scope of the authority delegated to it by the Arkansas General Assembly

☐ Decision Is Arbitrary, Capricious, or an Abuse of Discretion — The agency failed to articulate a reasoned basis consistent with the evidence and applicable law

☐ Violation of Due Process — Petitioner was denied proper notice, a meaningful opportunity to be heard, or another procedural right guaranteed under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-15-208 or constitutional due process

☐ Constitutional Violation — The decision or underlying rule violates the Arkansas or United States Constitution

☐ Improper Evidentiary Ruling — The agency improperly admitted or excluded material evidence, prejudicing the outcome

☐ Inadequate Findings of Fact or Conclusions of Law — The order fails to include findings required by Ark. Code Ann. § 25-15-210

☐ Mathematical or Clerical Error — The order contains an error of computation or transcription affecting the result

☐ Other: [________________________________]

PETITION FOR RECONSIDERATION

BEFORE THE [________________________________]
STATE OF ARKANSAS

In the Matter of:

[________________________________]
[________________________________]
(Petitioner / Respondent in Underlying Proceeding)

Case/Docket No.: [________________________________]

Order/Decision No.: [________________________________]

Date of Final Order: [__/__/____]

PETITION FOR RECONSIDERATION / REHEARING

SECTION 1 — IDENTIFICATION OF PARTIES

1.1 Petitioner:

Full Legal Name: [________________________________]
Address: [________________________________]
City, State, Zip: [________________________________], AR [____]
Telephone: ([____]) [____]-[____]
Email: [________________________________]
License/Registration No. (if applicable): [________________________________]
Arkansas Business Entity Type (if applicable): [________________________________]

1.2 Petitioner's Legal Counsel:

Attorney Name: [________________________________]
Arkansas Bar No.: [________________________________]
Firm Name: [________________________________]
Address: [________________________________]
City, State, Zip: [________________________________], AR [____]
Telephone: ([____]) [____]-[____]
Email: [________________________________]

1.3 Respondent Agency:

Agency Name: [________________________________]
Division/Program (if applicable): [________________________________]
Contact/Docket Clerk: [________________________________]
Address: [________________________________]
City, State, Zip: [________________________________], AR [____]

1.4 Other Parties of Record:

Name: [________________________________] Role: [________________________________]
Address: [________________________________]

Name: [________________________________] Role: [________________________________]
Address: [________________________________]

SECTION 2 — JURISDICTION AND TIMELINESS

2.1 Statutory Basis:

This Petition is filed pursuant to the Arkansas Administrative Procedure Act, Ark. Code Ann. § 25-15-201 et seq., and the following agency-specific procedural rule authorizing reconsideration:

Agency rule/regulation authorizing reconsideration: [________________________________]
Arkansas Administrative Code citation: [________________________________]

2.2 Timeliness — Deadline Calculation:

The agency's final order was entered/served on: [__/__/____]

The applicable reconsideration deadline under agency rules expires on: [__/__/____]
Basis for deadline: [________________________________] (cite agency rule)

This Petition is filed on: [__/__/____]

☐ This Petition is timely filed within the applicable deadline.

2.3 Effect on Judicial Review Deadline:

Under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-15-212, judicial review must be sought within 30 days after service of the agency's final decision. If the agency's rules provide that a timely filed reconsideration petition tolls the judicial review period, then the 30-day period will run from the date of service of the agency's decision on this petition.

Applicable tolling rule (cite): [________________________________]
Judicial review deadline (if no tolling): [__/__/____]
Judicial review deadline (if tolling applies): [__/__/____] (30 days after decision on this petition)

2.4 Agency Authority:

The [________________________________] has jurisdiction pursuant to:

Governing statute: [________________________________]
Administrative Code: [________________________________]

SECTION 3 — DESCRIPTION OF CHALLENGED DECISION

3.1 Identification of Final Order:

Title/Caption of Order: [________________________________]
Order Number: [________________________________]
Date Issued: [__/__/____]
Date Served on Petitioner: [__/__/____]
Presiding Hearing Officer / Agency Decision-Maker: [________________________________]

3.2 Nature of the Proceeding:

☐ Professional license denial, suspension, revocation, or non-renewal
☐ Civil penalty or fine
☐ Environmental permit denial, revocation, or enforcement action (DEQ; confirm the applicable Commission hearing route under 8 CAR pt. 11)
☐ Medicaid or public benefits determination (DHS)
☐ Child care or facility licensure action
☐ Insurance regulatory action
☐ Other: [________________________________]

3.3 Summary of Challenged Decision:

[Describe the specific findings, conclusions, and orders being challenged. Include the agency's stated reasons for the decision, the outcome it imposed, and identify specific paragraphs or pages of the order at issue.]

[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

SECTION 4 — PROCEDURAL HISTORY

4.1 Initiation of Proceeding:

Date proceeding was initiated: [__/__/____]
Initiating party: [________________________________]
Nature of initial action: [________________________________]

4.2 Prehearing Proceedings:

Notice of hearing provided: [__/__/____]
Prehearing conference: ☐ Yes ☐ No Date: [__/__/____]
Discovery or investigation: [________________________________]
Prehearing motions: [________________________________]

4.3 Hearing:

☐ Formal evidentiary hearing held
☐ Informal hearing or conference held
☐ Record-based decision without hearing

Hearing date(s): [__/__/____] through [__/__/____]
Presiding officer: [________________________________]
Location: [________________________________]

Witnesses for Petitioner:

1. [________________________________] Topic: [________________________________]
2. [________________________________] Topic: [________________________________]

Witnesses for Agency:

1. [________________________________] Topic: [________________________________]
2. [________________________________] Topic: [________________________________]

4.4 Proposed Order (if applicable):

☐ Proposed order issued on [__/__/____]
☐ Exceptions filed on [__/__/____]
☐ No proposed order; final order issued directly

4.5 Final Order:

Final order issued on [__/__/____] and served on [__/__/____].

SECTION 5 — STATEMENT OF FACTS

5.1 Background Facts:

[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

5.2 Facts the Agency Found (and whether Petitioner disputes them):

[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

5.3 Facts Supporting Ground 1 ([________________________________]):

[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

5.4 Facts Supporting Ground 2 ([________________________________]):

[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

5.5 Newly Discovered Evidence (if applicable):

Description: [________________________________]
Date discovered: [__/__/____]
Reason not available at hearing: [________________________________]
Materiality to outcome: [________________________________]

SECTION 6 — GROUNDS FOR RECONSIDERATION AND LEGAL ARGUMENT

Ground 1: [________________________________]

Specific Error:

[Identify precisely where the agency erred — cite the specific finding, conclusion, or page/paragraph of the order.]

[________________________________]
[________________________________]

Legal Standard:

[State the standard governing this ground, citing Ark. Code Ann. or applicable agency rules.]

[________________________________]
[________________________________]

Argument:

[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

Supporting Authorities:

• Statute: [________________________________]
• Arkansas Administrative Code: [________________________________]
• Case Law: [________________________________]
• Agency Precedent: [________________________________]

Ground 2: [________________________________]

Specific Error:

[________________________________]
[________________________________]

Legal Standard:

[________________________________]

Argument:

[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

Supporting Authorities:

• [________________________________]
• [________________________________]
• [________________________________]

Ground 3 (if applicable): [________________________________]

Specific Error:

[________________________________]

Argument:

[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

Supporting Authorities:

• [________________________________]
• [________________________________]

SECTION 7 — RELIEF REQUESTED

Petitioner respectfully requests that the Agency:

☐ Vacate the Final Order in its entirety and dismiss the underlying proceeding

☐ Modify the Final Order as follows: [________________________________]

☐ Remand for a new or supplemental evidentiary hearing on: [________________________________]

☐ Remand for supplemental findings of fact or conclusions of law on: [________________________________]

☐ Reduce the penalty from [________________________________] to [________________________________]

☐ Reinstate or grant the license, permit, or benefit at issue

☐ Stay enforcement of the Final Order pending resolution of this Petition and any subsequent judicial review

☐ Other: [________________________________]

SECTION 8 — EXHIBITS

SECTION 9 — VERIFICATION

I, [________________________________], being first duly sworn, state that the foregoing Petition for Reconsideration is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Executed on [__/__/____] at [________________________________], Arkansas.

Signature: _________________________________
Printed Name: [________________________________]
Title/Capacity: [________________________________]

State of Arkansas, County of [________________________________]

Subscribed and sworn to before me on [__/__/____] by [________________________________].

Notary public: _________________________________
My commission expires: [__/__/____]
[Notary seal]

SECTION 10 — SIGNATURE BLOCK

Respectfully submitted,

_________________________________
[________________________________] (Attorney Name)
Arkansas Bar No.: [________________________________]
[________________________________] (Firm Name)
[________________________________] (Address)
[________________________________], AR [____]
Telephone: ([____]) [____]-[____]
Email: [________________________________]

Counsel for Petitioner [________________________________]

Date: [__/__/____]

SECTION 11 — CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I hereby certify that on [__/__/____], I served a copy of the foregoing Petition for Reconsideration upon the following parties by the method(s) indicated:

Agency Clerk:
[________________________________] — [________________________________], AR [____]
☐ Personal delivery ☐ First-class U.S. Mail ☐ Certified Mail (No.: [________________________________]) ☐ Email: [________________________________]

Opposing Counsel or Party:
[________________________________] — [________________________________]
☐ Personal delivery ☐ First-class U.S. Mail ☐ Certified Mail ☐ Email: [________________________________]

Other Party:
[________________________________] — [________________________________]
☐ Personal delivery ☐ First-class U.S. Mail ☐ Certified Mail ☐ Email: [________________________________]

_________________________________
Signature
Printed Name: [________________________________]
Date: [__/__/____]

SECTION 12 — NEXT STEPS AND JUDICIAL REVIEW

12.1 Agency Action on This Petition:

The agency will process this petition in accordance with its applicable procedural rules. The agency may:

• Grant or deny the petition with or without a hearing
• Set a briefing schedule or schedule oral argument
• Take no action, resulting in the petition being deemed denied under agency rules

12.2 Judicial Review Under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-15-212:

For a decision governed by Ark. Code Ann. § 25-15-212, an aggrieved person may file for judicial review in Arkansas circuit court from final agency action. This reconsideration petition is not a general prerequisite to review and does not itself establish exhaustion or extend the court filing period:

• Venue: Circuit court of the county where the petitioner resides or does business, or Pulaski County Circuit Court
• Deadline: Within 30 days after service of the final agency decision (or decision on reconsideration, if tolling applies)
• Scope of review: The court reviews whether the agency decision is supported by substantial evidence, is arbitrary or capricious, violates constitutional provisions, or exceeds statutory authority

12.3 Preservation of Issues:

To preserve issues for judicial review under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-15-212, objections must generally be raised before the agency. This petition should include all issues Petitioner intends to preserve for court review.

12.4 Stay of Order:

Filing this petition does not automatically stay the final order. A separate stay request must be submitted to the agency or to the circuit court after judicial review is initiated.

This template was prepared for use in Arkansas administrative proceedings under Ark. Code Ann. § 25-15-201 et seq. It must be reviewed by a qualified attorney licensed in Arkansas before use. Agency-specific rules governing reconsideration deadlines must be confirmed before filing.