191—3.21(17A,507B) Evidence.
	3.21(1) The presiding officer shall rule on admissibility of evidence and may, where appropriate, take official notice of facts in accordance with applicable requirements of law.
	3.21(2) Stipulation of facts is encouraged. The presiding officer may make a decision based on stipulated facts.
	3.21(3) Evidence in the proceeding shall be confined to the issues as to which the parties received notice prior to the hearing unless the parties waive their right to such notice or the presiding officer determines that good cause justifies expansion of the issues. If the presiding officer decides to admit evidence on issues outside the scope of the notice over the objection of a party who did not have actual notice of those issues, that party, upon timely request, may receive a continuance sufficient to amend pleadings and to prepare on the additional issue.
	3.21(4) The party seeking admission of an exhibit must provide opposing parties with an opportunity to examine the exhibit prior to the ruling on its admissibility. Copies of documents should be provided to opposing parties no later than the time they are proffered to the presiding officer. All exhibits admitted into evidence shall be appropriately marked and be made part of the record.
	3.21(5) A party may object to specific evidence. A party may request limits on the scope of any examination or cross-examination. Objections shall be accompanied by a brief statement of the grounds upon which the objections are based. The objection and the ruling on the objection shall be noted in the record. The presiding officer may rule on the objection at the time it is made or may reserve a ruling until the written decision, if appropriate.
	3.21(6) Whenever evidence is ruled inadmissible, the party offering that evidence may submit an offer of proof on the record. The party making the offer of proof for excluded oral testimony shall briefly summarize the testimony or, with permission of the presiding officer, present the testimony. If the excluded evidence consists of a document or exhibit, it shall be marked as part of an offer of proof and inserted in the record.
[ARC 7731C, IAB 3/20/24, effective 4/24/24]