Article 2. Definitions of California Government Code >> Division 3. >> Title 2. >> Part 1. >> Chapter 4.5. >> Article 2.

Unless the provision or context requires otherwise, the definitions in this article govern the construction of this chapter.

"Adjudicative proceeding" means an evidentiary hearing for determination of facts pursuant to which an agency formulates and issues a decision.

"Agency" means a board, bureau, commission, department, division, office, officer, or other administrative unit, including the agency head, and one or more members of the agency head or agency employees or other persons directly or indirectly purporting to act on behalf of or under the authority of the agency head. To the extent it purports to exercise authority pursuant to this chapter, an administrative unit otherwise qualifying as an agency shall be treated as a separate agency even if the unit is located within or subordinate to another agency.

"Agency head" means a person or body in which the ultimate legal authority of an agency is vested, and includes a person or body to which the power to act is delegated pursuant to authority to delegate the agency's power to hear and decide.

(a) "Decision" means an agency action of specific application that determines a legal right, duty, privilege, immunity, or other legal interest of a particular person.
  (b) Nothing in this section limits any of the following:
  (1) The precedential effect of a decision under Section 11425.60.
  (2) The authority of an agency to make a declaratory decision pursuant to Article 14 (commencing with Section 11465.10).

"Party" includes the agency that is taking action, the person to which the agency action is directed, and any other person named as a party or allowed to appear or intervene in the proceeding. If the agency that is taking action and the agency that is conducting the adjudicative proceeding are separate agencies, the agency that is taking action is a party and the agency that is conducting the adjudicative proceeding is not a party.

"Person" includes an individual, partnership, corporation, governmental subdivision or unit of a governmental subdivision, or public or private organization or entity of any character.

"Presiding officer" means the agency head, member of the agency head, administrative law judge, hearing officer, or other person who presides in an adjudicative proceeding.