§ 2.717 - Commencement and termination of jurisdiction of presiding officer.

(a) Unless otherwise ordered by the Commission, the jurisdiction of the presiding officer designated to conduct a hearing over the proceeding, including motions and procedural matters, commences when the proceeding commences. If no presiding officer has been designated, the Chief Administrative Law Judge has such jurisdiction or, if he is unavailable, another administrative law judge has such jurisdiction. A proceeding is deemed to commence when a notice of hearing or a notice of proposed action pursuant to § 2.105 is issued. When a notice of hearing provides that the presiding officer is to be an administrative law judge, the Chief Administrative Law Judge will designate by order the administrative law judge who is to preside. The presiding officer's jurisdiction in each proceeding will terminate upon the expiration of the period within which the Commission may direct that the record be certified to it for final decision, or when the Commission renders a final decision, or when the presiding officer shall have withdrawn himself from the case upon considering himself disqualified, whichever is earliest.

(b) The Director of Nuclear Reactor Regulation or Director of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, as appropriate, may issue an order and take any otherwise proper administrative action with respect to a licensee who is a party to a pending proceeding. Any order related to the subject matter of the pending proceeding may be modified by the presiding officer as appropriate for the purpose of the proceeding.