Petition for Reconsideration (Administrative Agency)

PETITION FOR RECONSIDERATION (ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY)

State of Delaware — Delaware Administrative Procedures Act (29 Del. C. § 10101 et seq.)

CRITICAL DEADLINE NOTICE — READ BEFORE FILING

Delaware's Administrative Procedures Act (APA) at 29 Del. C. § 10129 provides for reconsideration of case decisions. However, the APA does not set a single uniform reconsideration deadline applicable to all agencies — many Delaware agencies have their own rules specifying reconsideration and rehearing timelines. You must verify the deadline applicable to the specific agency whose decision is being challenged.

Common Delaware agency reconsideration timeframes:
- Many agencies allow 10–20 days from the final order to petition for reconsideration or rehearing
- Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS): specific fair hearing rules
- Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV): specific hearing and appeal procedures
- Delaware Department of Labor: unemployment insurance appeal procedures
- Professional licensing boards: board-specific reconsideration rules

Judicial review deadline: Under 29 Del. C. § 10141, proceedings for judicial review of a final order of an agency in a contested case must be initiated by filing a petition in the Superior Court within 30 days after service of the final order upon the petitioner. Whether a timely reconsideration petition tolls this deadline depends on agency-specific rules. Do not assume tolling — confirm with counsel and consider filing a protective judicial review petition.

Scope of judicial review: Under 29 Del. C. § 10142, the Superior Court may reverse or modify an agency decision if it is: (1) not supported by substantial evidence on the record; (2) affected by error of law; (3) in violation of constitutional provisions; (4) in excess of statutory authority; or (5) otherwise unsatisfactory under the circumstances.

ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT

This Petition for Reconsideration is a formal request to a Delaware administrative agency to review and change its own final order in a contested case. It is filed with the agency and is typically sought before or alongside filing for judicial review in the Superior Court.

Common agencies where this petition is used:

• Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) — Medicaid, licensing, benefits
• Delaware Division of Professional Regulation (DPR) — professional licensing (medical, nursing, pharmacy, real estate, cosmetology, etc.)
• Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC)
• Delaware Division of Revenue — tax matters
• Delaware Department of Labor — unemployment insurance, labor standards
• Delaware Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) — driver licensing
• Delaware Public Service Commission — utilities
• Delaware Department of Insurance
• Delaware Department of Education — educator certification
• Delaware Department of Safety and Homeland Security
• Delaware Secretary of State — business licensing and regulation
• Delaware State Banking Commissioner

GROUNDS FOR RECONSIDERATION CHECKLIST

Check all grounds that apply:

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

☐ Error of Fact / Substantial Evidence — The agency's findings of fact are not supported by substantial evidence on the whole record

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

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

☐ Decision Is Arbitrary, Capricious, or an Abuse of Discretion — The agency's decision lacks a rational, reasoned basis consistent with the record and applicable law

☐ Violation of Due Process — Petitioner was denied adequate notice, an opportunity to be heard, or other procedural rights guaranteed by 29 Del. C. § 10121 et seq. or constitutional due process

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

☐ Improper Evidentiary Ruling — The agency improperly admitted or excluded material evidence that affected the outcome

☐ Inadequate Findings of Fact or Conclusions of Law — The order fails to include the findings required by 29 Del. C. § 10128

☐ Penalty Is Excessive or Disproportionate — The penalty imposed is not proportionate to the violation and is unsupported by the record or agency precedent

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

☐ Other: [________________________________]

PETITION FOR RECONSIDERATION

BEFORE THE [________________________________]
STATE OF DELAWARE

In the Matter of:

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

Case/Docket No.: [________________________________]

Order/Decision No.: [________________________________]

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

PETITION FOR RECONSIDERATION PURSUANT TO 29 DEL. C. § 10129 AND APPLICABLE AGENCY RULES

SECTION 1 — IDENTIFICATION OF PARTIES

1.1 Petitioner:

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

1.2 Petitioner's Legal Counsel:

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

1.3 Respondent Agency:

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

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 29 Del. C. § 10129 of the Delaware Administrative Procedures Act and the following agency-specific rule(s) governing reconsideration:

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

2.2 Timeliness — Deadline Calculation:

The final order was issued on: [__/__/____]
The final order was served on Petitioner 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 reconsideration deadline.

2.3 WARNING — Judicial Review Deadline:

Under 29 Del. C. § 10141, a petition for judicial review in the Delaware Superior Court must be filed within 30 days after service of the final order. Whether filing this reconsideration petition tolls that 30-day deadline depends on agency-specific rules.

Judicial review deadline (absent tolling): [__/__/____]

☐ Petitioner has confirmed with counsel that this reconsideration petition tolls the judicial review deadline under [________________________________]
☐ Petitioner is simultaneously filing a protective petition for judicial review in Superior Court to preserve rights

2.4 Agency Authority:

The [________________________________] has jurisdiction pursuant to:

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

SECTION 3 — DESCRIPTION OF CHALLENGED ORDER

3.1 Identification of Final Order:

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

3.2 Nature of the Contested Case:

☐ Professional license denial, suspension, revocation, or non-renewal (DPR)
☐ Civil penalty or fine
☐ Environmental enforcement or permit action (DNREC)
☐ Tax assessment or penalty (Division of Revenue)
☐ Unemployment insurance determination (DOL)
☐ Medicaid or public benefits action (DHSS)
☐ Driver licensing action (DMV)
☐ Utility regulatory order (PSC)
☐ Insurance regulatory action
☐ Educator certification action (DOE)
☐ Banking regulatory action
☐ Other: [________________________________]

3.3 Summary of Challenged Order:

[Describe the specific findings, conclusions, and orders being challenged. Cite the specific pages and paragraphs of the order. State what the agency found, what it ordered or denied, and what Petitioner contends is erroneous.]

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

SECTION 4 — PROCEDURAL HISTORY

4.1 Initiation of Proceeding:

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

4.2 Notice and Prehearing Proceedings:

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

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 evidence admitted:

• [________________________________]
• [________________________________]

4.4 Final Order:

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

SECTION 5 — STATEMENT OF FACTS

5.1 Background:

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

5.2 Agency's Factual Findings and Petitioner's Dispute:

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

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 despite due diligence: [________________________________]
How material to outcome: [________________________________]

SECTION 6 — GROUNDS FOR RECONSIDERATION AND LEGAL ARGUMENT

Ground 1: [________________________________]

Specific Error in the Order:

[Identify the precise finding, conclusion, or page/paragraph of the order that is erroneous or unlawful.]

[________________________________]
[________________________________]
[________________________________]

Legal Standard:

[State the applicable standard, e.g., "Under 29 Del. C. § 10142, the Superior Court may reverse an agency decision that is not supported by substantial evidence. Substantial evidence means such relevant evidence as a reasonable mind might accept as adequate to support a conclusion. The agency's legal conclusions are reviewed de novo."]

[________________________________]
[________________________________]

Argument:

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

Supporting Authorities:

• Delaware Statute (Del. C.): [________________________________]
• Delaware 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 and dismiss the proceeding

☐ Modify the Final Order as follows: [________________________________]

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

☐ Remand for additional or corrected 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 Order pending resolution of this Petition and any subsequent judicial review

☐ Other: [________________________________]

SECTION 8 — EXHIBITS

SECTION 9 — VERIFICATION

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

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

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

SECTION 10 — SIGNATURE BLOCK

Respectfully submitted,

_________________________________
[________________________________] (Attorney Name)
Delaware Bar ID No.: [________________________________]
[________________________________] (Firm Name)
[________________________________] (Address)
[________________________________], DE [____]
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 all parties of record by the method(s) indicated:

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

Agency Legal Division / Deputy Attorney General:
[________________________________] — [________________________________]
☐ Personal delivery ☐ U.S. Mail ☐ Certified Mail ☐ Email: [________________________________]

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

Other Party of Record:
[________________________________] — [________________________________]
☐ Personal delivery ☐ U.S. Mail ☐ Email: [________________________________]

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

SECTION 12 — NEXT STEPS AND JUDICIAL REVIEW

12.1 Agency Action on This Petition:

The agency will consider this petition in accordance with its applicable procedural rules and may grant or deny reconsideration with or without a hearing. Petitioner should confirm the agency's expected response timeline under its specific rules.

12.2 Judicial Review Under 29 Del. C. § 10141–10142:

Under 29 Del. C. § 10141, proceedings for judicial review must be initiated by filing a petition for review in the Delaware Superior Court within 30 days after service of the final order. If reconsideration tolls this deadline under the agency's rules, then the 30-day period runs from service of the decision on reconsideration.

Key requirements for Superior Court review:

• File in the Superior Court for the county where the agency is located or where the petitioner does business
• Name the agency as respondent
• The court applies the substantial evidence standard to factual findings (29 Del. C. § 10142(d))
• The court reviews legal questions de novo
• The court may reverse or remand if the decision: lacks substantial evidence, involves error of law, violates constitutional provisions, exceeds statutory authority, or is otherwise unsatisfactory

12.3 Specialized Agency Procedures:

Note that certain Delaware agencies — particularly DHSS for Medicaid fair hearings, the DPR for professional boards, and DOL for unemployment insurance — have specialized reconsideration and appeal procedures. Always confirm the specific procedural framework with counsel before relying on this general form.

12.4 Stay of Order:

Filing this petition does not automatically stay the final order. A separate stay request must be made to the agency (if authorized by agency rules) or to the Superior Court upon the filing of a petition for judicial review.

This template was prepared for use in Delaware administrative proceedings under 29 Del. C. § 10101 et seq. It must be reviewed by a qualified attorney licensed in Delaware before use. Agency-specific reconsideration deadlines and tolling rules must be confirmed before relying on this petition.