The State Office of Administrative Hearings, also called SOAH, resolves disputes between Texas agencies, other governmental entities, and private citizens either through an administrative hearing or mediation. The office is separate and independent from the agencies involved in the disputes. The administrative law judges who preside over the disputes are neutral. The specific objectives of the State Office of Administrative Hearings are to:

  • Conduct fair and objective administrative hearings.
  • Provide fair, timely, and efficient decisions and proposals for decision.
  • Offer the opportunity for parties to resolve their disputes through mediation (or alternative dispute resolution).

AGENCY MISSION

The mission of the State Office of Administrative Hearings is to serve as an independent, neutral forum for the State of Texas by providing a fair and efficient hearings process and the opportunity for alternative dispute resolution proceedings, in accordance with Chapter 2003 of the Texas Government Code.

NEWS

The State Office of Administrative Hearings maintains the record of a contested case or other proceeding while the case is pending and, upon conclusion of the case, returns the record to the referring agency. To ensure that the State Office of Administrative Hearings is providing excellent service to all stakeholders in fulfilling this responsibility, the Office is reviewing its practices and procedures. As part of this review, we are seeking feedback regarding the handling of contested case records. If you have suggestions or experiences relating to the State Office of Administrative Hearings’ contested case records that you would like to share with us, please participate in this survey.

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