Lance D. McMillan

This Strategic Plan outlines the direction for the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) as an independent agency dedicated to delivering fair, timely, and impartial decisions in administrative hearings and alternative dispute resolution proceedings, guided by a philosophy of continuous improvement. The plan focuses on four main goals: setting national standards for hearings and staff by addressing salary parity and professional development; reducing barriers to participation in contested case proceedings through enhanced inter-agency coordination and streamlined filing; distributing agency expertise across Texas regions by ensuring parity for regional ALJs and deploying accessible technologies; and improving resource allocation for growing agency referrals by refining demand forecasting and strengthening agency collaboration. The plan aims to enhance the agency's efficiency, fairness, and accessibility while preparing for future challenges and evolving needs.

The State Office of Administrative Hearings' operating budget for fiscal year 2026 includes strategies for conducting hearings, alternative dispute resolution (ADR), and indirect administration. Key objectives include ensuring fair and impartial hearings, providing opportunities for ADR, and efficient indirect administration. The budget allocates funds to salaries and wages, personnel costs, professional fees, supplies, utilities, travel, rent, and capital expenditures. Revenue is estimated from fees, copies, filing of records, and interagency contracts.

The strategic plan for the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) focuses on providing a fair and efficient administrative hearings process. Key areas of focus include creating best-in-class hearings and support through technology optimization, expanding access for self-represented litigants, and ensuring parity in agency pay structure and training. The plan aims to modernize IT infrastructure, improve supervision of administrative law judges, and streamline processes by removing redundant requirements and modernizing service of process. SOAH also seeks to enhance customer service, promote Historically Underutilized Businesses, and maintain cybersecurity standards while addressing workforce skills and compensation.

The strategic plan for the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) for fiscal years 2021-2025 outlines key goals and action plans. These include completely implementing a new case-management system to increase transparency and efficiency, leveraging existing technology to enhance hearings and support services, and reconfiguring docketing processes to accommodate electronic filing. The plan also focuses on improving the administrative record, standardizing training strategies for Administrative Law Judges (ALJs), and expanding access to hearings for self-represented litigants. Additionally, the plan addresses redundancies and impediments in existing statutes and regulations to streamline agency operations.

The strategic plan for the State Office of Administrative Hearings focuses on providing a fair and efficient hearings process. Key areas of focus include implementing a new case management system to increase transparency and leveraging existing technology to create best-in-class hearings and support. The plan also addresses redundancies and impediments in current processes and aims to improve customer service and satisfaction.