CFR > Title 34 - Education > SUBTITLE A—Office of the Secretary, Department of Education > PART 33—PROGRAM FRAUD CIVIL REMEDIES ACT > 33.21—Discovery.

33.21—Discovery.

(a) The following types of discovery are authorized:
(1) Requests for production of documents for inspection and copying.
(2) Requests for admissions of the authenticity of any relevant document or of the truth of any relevant fact.
(3) Written interrogatories.
(4) Depositions.
(b) For the purpose of this section and §§ 33.22 and 33.23, the term “documents” includes information, documents, reports, answers, records, accounts, papers, and other data and documentary evidence. Nothing contained in this part may be interpreted to require the creation of a document.
(c) Unless mutually agreed to by the parties, discovery is available only as ordered by the ALJ. The ALJ shall regulate the timing of discovery.
(d) Motions for discovery. (1) A party seeking discovery may file a motion with the ALJ. Such a motion shall be accompanied by a copy of the requested discovery, or in the case of depositions, a summary of the scope of the proposed deposition.
(2) Within ten days of service, a party may file an opposition to the motion or a motion for protective order, or both, as provided in § 33.24.
(3) The ALJ may grant a motion for discovery only if he finds that the discovery sought:
(i) Is necessary for the expeditious, fair, and reasonable determination of the issues;
(ii) Is not unduly costly or burdensome;
(iii) Will not unduly delay the proceeding; and
(iv) Does not seek privileged information.
(4) The burden of showing that discovery should be allowed is on the party seeking discovery.
(5) The ALJ may grant discovery subject to a protective order under § 33.24.
(e) Depositions. (1) If a motion for deposition is granted, the ALJ shall issue a subpoena for the deponent, which may require the deponent to produce documents. The subpoena must specify the time and place at which the deposition will be held.
(2) The party seeking to depose shall serve the subpoena in the manner prescribed in § 33.8.
(3) The deponent may file with the ALJ a motion to quash the subpoena or a motion for a protective order within ten days of service.
(4) The party seeking to depose shall provide for the taking a verbatim transcript of the deposition, which the party shall make available to all other parties for inspection and copying.
(f) Each party shall bear its own costs of discovery.

Code of Federal Regulations

(Authority: 31 U.S.C. 3803(g)(3)(B)(ii) )