Last Update: 9/13/05 (Transmittal I-4-15)
The staff must enter the date of receipt of recordings into the LOTS. A transcript request form (I-4-1-107) is generated by LOTS which the staff must staple to the recording envelope. The staff must determine whether the recording is a 2-track or 4-track tape or a compact disk and mark the envelope accordingly. If there are multiple hearings, the staff must staple the separate envelopes together. The staff must handcarry the recording(s) to the Contracts Staff on the same day that it is received in the CCPRB. If the hearing recordings are taken to the Contracts Staff on a day after the claim file is received, the staff must annotate the Request for File form (see I-4-1-115).
The information that the staff enters on the request form determines what priority the preparation of the hearing transcript is assigned.
Cases due in court in over 30 days are assigned a 10-workday delivery schedule.
Cases due in court in 15 to 30 days are assigned a 5-workday delivery schedule.
Cases due in court in 14 days or less are assigned a 1-workday delivery schedule. (If the case is due in court in 14 days or less, the staff must contact the support staff in the OGC office responsible for the case to determine if the court has granted the Commissioner an extension of time before sending a recording to Contracts Staff. The CCPRB staff will annotate the contact with OGC on the bottom of the transcript request form so that Contracts Staff will know that the date due in court is correct.).
All court remand cases are assigned a 10-workday delivery schedule unless the Commissioner must meet a court-imposed time limit.
The staff must follow-up with the Contracts Staff if the 10 day transcript is not received within 15 calendar days. The staff must follow-up on 1 and 5 day priority transcripts after 2 or 6 work days respectively. The staff must note the date of the follow-up on the Request for File form (see I-4-1-115).
On occasion, the contractor will return a recording noting that the recording was wholly or partially inaudible. The Contracts Staff must always verify any such report by auditing the recording. If the audit shows the recording to be audible, Contracts Staff will either return it to the contractor or prepare the transcript themselves. If the recording is inaudible, Contracts Staff will prepare a memo to document that the recording is inaudible and return it to the CCPRB. To ensure accuracy, staff in the CCPRBs should spot check the recording again to further verify that it is inaudible. The staff will assign the case to an analyst and update the LOTS to show the analyst's initials and date assigned.
A case must be assigned to an analyst in the following situations:
Additional evidence which was not part of the record is received or in file.
Correspondence is received.
A Division of Congressional and Public Inquires (DCPI) request is received.
Exhibits or Evidence that does not relate to the claimant are found in the file.
Files or exhibits are missing.
Hearing recordings are wholly or partially inaudible.
Declaration case - other than a standard untimely filed case (see I-4-1-30 and I-4-1-31).
Do not postpone the request for recording transcription even though the case must be assigned to an analyst.