458A.11  Rules covering practice before department.
  1.  The department shall prescribe rules governing the practice and procedure before it.
  2.  An order or amendment of an order, except in an emergency, shall not be made by the department without a public hearing upon at least ten days’ notice. The public hearing shall be held at the time and place prescribed by the department, and any interested person is entitled to be heard.
  3.  When an emergency requiring immediate action is found to exist the department may issue an emergency order without notice of hearing, which shall be effective upon promulgation. An emergency order shall not remain effective for more than fifteen days.
  4.  Any notice required by this chapter shall be given at the election of the department either by personal service or by letter to the last recorded address and one publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the state capital city and in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the land affected or some part of the land is situated. The notice shall issue in the name of the state, shall be signed by the director, shall specify the style and number of the proceeding, the time and place of the hearing, and shall briefly state the purpose of the proceeding. Should the department elect to give notice by personal service, the service may be made by any officer authorized to serve process, or by any agent of the department, in the same manner as is provided by law for the service of original notices in civil actions in the district court of the state. Proof of the service by such agent shall be by the affidavit of the person making personal service.
  5.  All orders issued by the department shall be in writing, shall be entered in full and indexed in books to be kept by the director for that purpose, and shall be public records open for inspection at all times during reasonable office hours. A copy of any rule or order certified by the director or any officer of the department shall be received in evidence in all courts of this state with the same effect as the original.
  6.  The department may act upon its own motion, or upon the petition of any interested person. On the filing of a petition concerning any matter within the jurisdiction of the department, the department shall promptly fix a date for a hearing and shall cause notice of the hearing to be given. The hearing shall be held without undue delay after the filing of the petition. The department shall enter its order within thirty days after the hearing.
[C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §84.11; 
82 Acts, ch 1199, §46, 96
]
86 Acts, ch 1245, §1815, 1816
C93, §458A.11