Petition for Reconsideration (Administrative Agency)

PETITION FOR RECONSIDERATION (ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY)

State of Colorado — Colorado Administrative Procedure Act (C.R.S. § 24-4-105)

CRITICAL DEADLINE NOTICE — READ BEFORE FILING

Under C.R.S. § 24-4-106(4), any person adversely affected or aggrieved by final agency action may file for judicial review in district court within 30 days after such agency action becomes effective. IMPORTANT: Under Colorado law, a motion for reconsideration does not automatically toll (extend) the 30-day judicial review deadline. Unless the specific statute governing the agency expressly requires filing a reconsideration petition before seeking judicial review, you should simultaneously pursue this reconsideration petition AND monitor the judicial review deadline.

Agency-specific rules: Many Colorado agencies have their own reconsideration procedures. For example:
- Department of Health Care Policy and Financing and CDHS: exceptions to initial decisions must be filed within 15 days of the initial decision; agency may allow up to an additional 15 days for good cause
- Colorado Division of Workers' Compensation: specific petition-to-review procedures under C.R.S. § 8-43-301
- Department of Revenue: specific protest and hearing procedures
- Professional licensing boards: board-specific rules

Exception procedure: Under C.R.S. § 24-4-105(15), where an initial decision (recommended decision) is issued, parties have the opportunity to file exceptions before the decision becomes final. That is a different procedure from this reconsideration petition, which applies to final agency orders.

Consult counsel immediately to determine whether the specific agency's rules require, permit, or affect the judicial review deadline when a reconsideration petition is filed.

ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT

This Petition for Reconsideration is a formal request to a Colorado state administrative agency to review and change its own decision or order. Under Colorado law, it is critical to understand that reconsideration does not automatically toll the judicial review deadline — a petition for judicial review in district court may need to be filed contemporaneously or within the 30-day window regardless of this petition's status.

Common agencies where this petition is used:

• Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) — professional licensing (medical, nursing, pharmacy, real estate, contracting, insurance)
• Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE)
• Colorado Department of Revenue — tax, liquor licensing, motor vehicle
• Colorado Department of Labor and Employment (CDLE) — unemployment, workers' compensation
• Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (HCPF) — Medicaid
• Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS)
• Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC)
• Colorado Division of Securities
• Colorado Banking Board
• Colorado Department of Education — educator licensing
• Colorado Department of Agriculture — agricultural licensing and regulation

GROUNDS FOR RECONSIDERATION CHECKLIST

Check all grounds that apply:

☐ Error of Law — The agency incorrectly applied or interpreted a statute, regulation, or legal standard

☐ Error of Fact / Substantial Evidence — The agency's factual findings are not supported by competent, material, and substantial evidence in the record

☐ Newly Discovered Evidence — Material evidence was discovered after the hearing that could not reasonably have been discovered and presented through the exercise of due diligence

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

☐ Decision Is Arbitrary, Capricious, or an Abuse of Discretion — The agency failed to provide a reasoned, lawful basis for its decision

☐ Procedural Error / Denial of Due Process — A material procedural defect occurred that violated C.R.S. § 24-4-105 procedural requirements or constitutional due process guarantees

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

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

☐ Inadequate Findings of Fact or Conclusions of Law — The decision lacks the required findings or conclusions under applicable agency rules

☐ Penalty Disproportionate — The penalty or sanction imposed is excessive, disproportionate to the violation, or inconsistent with agency precedent

☐ Changed Circumstances / Change in Law — Material facts have changed since the decision, or a new legal authority requires a different result

☐ Other: [________________________________]

PETITION FOR RECONSIDERATION

BEFORE THE [________________________________]
STATE OF COLORADO

In the Matter of:

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

Case/Docket No.: [________________________________]

Order/Decision No.: [________________________________]

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

PETITION FOR RECONSIDERATION

SECTION 1 — IDENTIFICATION OF PARTIES

1.1 Petitioner:

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

1.2 Petitioner's Legal Counsel:

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

1.3 Respondent Agency:

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

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 Colorado Administrative Procedure Act, C.R.S. § 24-4-105, and the following agency-specific authority authorizing reconsideration:

Agency reconsideration rule/regulation: [________________________________]
Colorado Code of Regulations (CCR) citation: [________________________________]

2.2 Timeliness:

The final order/decision was served on Petitioner on: [__/__/____]

The applicable reconsideration deadline under agency rules expires on: [__/__/____]
Basis for this deadline: [________________________________]

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

☐ This Petition is timely filed within the applicable deadline.

2.3 WARNING — Judicial Review Deadline:

Under C.R.S. § 24-4-106(4), judicial review of final agency action must be sought by filing an action in district court within 30 days after the agency action becomes effective. Filing this reconsideration petition does NOT automatically toll that deadline unless the governing statute expressly so provides.

Judicial review deadline (30 days from effective agency action): [__/__/____]

☐ Petitioner is simultaneously filing for judicial review in district court to protect the judicial review deadline
☐ Petitioner has confirmed with counsel that filing this petition tolls the judicial review deadline under [________________________________]

2.4 Agency Authority:

The [________________________________] has jurisdiction pursuant to:

Governing statute: [________________________________]
CCR cite: [________________________________]

SECTION 3 — DESCRIPTION OF CHALLENGED DECISION

3.1 Identification of Final Decision:

Title of Decision: [________________________________]
Decision/Order Number: [________________________________]
Date Issued: [__/__/____]
Effective Date of Decision: [__/__/____]
Date Served on Petitioner: [__/__/____]
Issuing Hearing Officer / Agency Official: [________________________________]

3.2 Nature of the Action:

☐ Professional license denial, suspension, revocation, or non-renewal (DORA)
☐ Civil penalty or fine
☐ Environmental enforcement or permit action (CDPHE)
☐ Tax assessment or penalty (DOR)
☐ Unemployment insurance determination (CDLE)
☐ Workers' compensation order (CDLE/Division of Workers' Compensation)
☐ Medicaid or public benefits determination (HCPF or CDHS)
☐ Utility rate or service order (PUC)
☐ Liquor license action (DOR)
☐ Securities regulatory action
☐ Banking or financial institution action
☐ Other: [________________________________]

3.3 Summary of Challenged Decision:

[Describe specifically what the agency found and what it ordered, imposed, or denied. Cite page and paragraph numbers of the decision.]

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

SECTION 4 — PROCEDURAL HISTORY

4.1 Initiation of Proceeding:

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

4.2 Initial/Recommended Decision (if applicable):

☐ A recommended/initial decision was issued on [__/__/____] by [________________________________]
☐ Exceptions to initial decision were filed on [__/__/____]
☐ Agency issued final decision on [__/__/____] after considering exceptions
☐ No initial decision; agency issued final decision directly

4.3 Hearing:

☐ Formal evidentiary hearing held
☐ Informal hearing or conference
☐ Decision on the record without hearing

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

Witnesses for Petitioner:

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

Witnesses for Agency:

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

Key documentary evidence: [________________________________]

4.4 Final Decision:

Final decision issued on [__/__/____], effective [__/__/____], served on Petitioner [__/__/____].

SECTION 5 — STATEMENT OF FACTS

5.1 Background:

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

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: [__/__/____]
Why not available at hearing: [________________________________]
Materiality: [________________________________]

SECTION 6 — GROUNDS FOR RECONSIDERATION AND LEGAL ARGUMENT

Ground 1: [________________________________]

Specific Error:

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

[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

Legal Standard:

[State the standard, e.g., "Under C.R.S. § 24-4-106(7), the court may set aside agency action if it is unsupported by competent, material, and substantial evidence in light of the whole record; is contrary to a constitutional right; outside statutory authority; in violation of a rule of procedure; or arbitrary and capricious or characterized by an abuse of discretion."]

[________________________________]
[________________________________]

Argument:

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

Supporting Authorities:

• Colorado Statute (C.R.S.): [________________________________]
• Colorado Code of Regulations (CCR): [________________________________]
• 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 Decision and dismiss the underlying proceeding

☐ Modify the Final Decision as follows: [________________________________]

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

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

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

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

☐ Stay enforcement of the Final Decision pending resolution of this Petition (note: a stay does not extend the judicial review deadline)

☐ Other: [________________________________]

SECTION 8 — EXHIBITS

SECTION 9 — VERIFICATION

I, [________________________________], declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of Colorado that the foregoing Petition for Reconsideration is true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.

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

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

SECTION 10 — SIGNATURE BLOCK

Respectfully submitted,

_________________________________
[________________________________] (Attorney Name)
Colorado State Bar No.: [________________________________]
[________________________________] (Firm Name)
[________________________________] (Address)
[________________________________], CO [____]
Telephone: ([____]) [____]-[____]
Email: [________________________________]

Counsel for Petitioner [________________________________]

Date: [__/__/____]

SECTION 11 — CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE

I hereby certify that on [__/__/____], I served a true and correct copy of the foregoing Petition for Reconsideration upon the following parties:

Agency Clerk / Docket Officer:
[________________________________] — [________________________________], CO [____]
☐ Personal delivery ☐ U.S. Mail ☐ Certified Mail (No.: [________________________________]) ☐ Email: [________________________________] ☐ Agency e-filing portal

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

Other Party of Record:
[________________________________] — [________________________________]
☐ Personal delivery ☐ 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 rules. The agency may grant a hearing, decide on the record, grant, or deny the petition. Petitioner should confirm the agency's expected timeline.

12.2 CRITICAL — Judicial Review Under C.R.S. § 24-4-106:

Under C.R.S. § 24-4-106(4), any person adversely affected by final agency action may seek judicial review in the district court within 30 days after such agency action becomes effective. Filing a reconsideration petition does not toll this deadline absent a specific statutory provision.

To seek judicial review:

• File an action in the district court of the county where the agency's principal office is located, or where petitioner resides or does business
• Identify the specific grounds for review under C.R.S. § 24-4-106(7) (substantial evidence, constitutional rights, statutory authority, arbitrary/capricious)
• The court reviews the agency's record and may affirm, remand, set aside, or modify the decision

12.3 Specialized Review Procedures:

Some Colorado agencies have specialized appeal procedures that differ from C.R.S. § 24-4-106:

• Workers' Compensation: petition to review before Director/Panel under C.R.S. § 8-43-301
• Unemployment: appeals to Industrial Claim Appeals Office (ICAO) under C.R.S. § 8-74-107
• Tax disputes: district court or Board of Assessment Appeals, depending on tax type

12.4 Stay of Decision:

Filing this petition does not automatically stay the final decision. A separate stay request must be submitted to the agency (under agency rules) or to the district court (if judicial review is also pending).

This template was prepared for use in Colorado administrative proceedings under C.R.S. § 24-4-101 et seq. It must be reviewed by a qualified attorney licensed in Colorado before use. Colorado's judicial review deadline is not automatically tolled by filing a reconsideration petition — counsel must confirm this critical point before relying on this petition alone.