96.6  Filing — determination — appeal.
  1.  Filing.  Claims for benefits shall be made in accordance with such regulations as the department may prescribe.
  2.  Initial determination.  A representative designated by the director shall promptly notify all interested parties to the claim of its filing, and the parties have ten days from the date of mailing the notice of the filing of the claim by ordinary mail to the last known address to protest payment of benefits to the claimant. The representative shall promptly examine the claim and any protest, take the initiative to ascertain relevant information concerning the claim, and, on the basis of the facts found by the representative, shall determine whether or not the claim is valid, the week with respect to which benefits shall commence, the weekly benefit amount payable and its maximum duration, and whether any disqualification shall be imposed. The claimant has the burden of proving that the claimant meets the basic eligibility conditions of section 96.4. The employer has the burden of proving that the claimant is disqualified for benefits pursuant to section 96.5, except as provided by this subsection. The claimant has the initial burden to produce evidence showing that the claimant is not disqualified for benefits in cases involving section 96.5, subsection 10, and has the burden of proving that a voluntary quit pursuant to section 96.5, subsection 1, was for good cause attributable to the employer and that the claimant is not disqualified for benefits in cases involving section 96.5, subsection 1, paragraphs “a” through “h”. Unless the claimant or other interested party, after notification or within ten calendar days after notification was mailed to the claimant’s last known address, files an appeal from the decision, the decision is final and benefits shall be paid or denied in accordance with the decision. If an administrative law judge affirms a decision of the representative, or the appeal board affirms a decision of the administrative law judge allowing benefits, the benefits shall be paid regardless of any appeal which is thereafter taken, but if the decision is finally reversed, no employer’s account shall be charged with benefits so paid and this relief from charges shall apply to both contributory and reimbursable employers, notwithstanding section 96.8, subsection 5.
  3.  Appeals.
  a.  Unless the appeal is withdrawn, an administrative law judge, after affording the parties reasonable opportunity for fair hearing, shall affirm or modify the findings of fact and decision of the representative. The hearing shall be conducted pursuant to the provisions of chapter 17A relating to hearings for contested cases. Before the hearing is scheduled, the parties shall be afforded the opportunity to choose either a telephone hearing or an in-person hearing. A request for an in-person hearing shall be approved unless the in-person hearing would be impractical because of the distance between the parties to the hearing. A telephone or in-person hearing shall not be scheduled before the seventh calendar day after the parties receive notice of the hearing. Reasonable requests for the postponement of a hearing shall be granted. The parties shall be duly notified of the administrative law judge’s decision, together with the administrative law judge’s reasons for the decision, which is the final decision of the department, unless within fifteen days after the date of notification or mailing of the decision, further appeal is initiated pursuant to this section.
  b.  Appeals from the initial determination shall be heard by an administrative law judge employed by the department. An administrative law judge’s decision may be appealed by any party to the employment appeal board created in section 10A.601. The decision of the appeal board is final agency action and an appeal of the decision shall be made directly to the district court.
  4.  Effect of determination.  A finding of fact or law, judgment, conclusion, or final order made pursuant to this section by an employee or representative of the department, administrative law judge, or the employment appeal board, is binding only upon the parties to proceedings brought under this chapter, and is not binding upon any other proceedings or action involving the same facts brought by the same or related parties before the division of labor services, division of workers’ compensation, other state agency, arbitrator, court, or judge of this state or the United States.
[C39, §1551.12; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §96.6]
83 Acts, ch 190, §11, 12, 27; 84 Acts, ch 1255, §3; 86 Acts, ch 1245, §522, 523; 88 Acts, ch 1109, §9; 91 Acts, ch 43, §1; 95 Acts, ch 109, §3; 96 Acts, ch 1186, §23; 98 Acts, ch 1061, §9; 98 Acts, ch 1158, §1; 2008 Acts, ch 1032, §177