History

The Minnesota legislature created the Office of Administrative Hearings in 1975. Originally named the Office of Hearing Examiners, OAH opened its doors on January 1, 1976. OAH was created to provide fair, timely, and impartial administrative hearings and high-quality dispute resolution services to Minnesota residents, businesses, and government agencies.

Administrative Law

OAH was created to hear cases that we now call "Administrative Law." Originally, the legislature formed OAH to hear cases involving challenges to government action. OAH's jurisdiction has grown over the years. In 2004, OAH received jurisdiction over cases involving fair campaign practices and financial reporting violations. In 2005, OAH received jurisdiction over municipal boundary adjustment matters. Additionally, from 1987 until 1999, Administrative Law Judges issued child support orders and modifications.

Currently, OAH's Administrative Law Judges preside over a wide variety of cases. They involve challenges to government action, such as utility rate-setting and route designation, professional licenses from medical practice to child care and foster care, veterans preference, occupational safety and health, nursing home regulatory compliance, environmental permits, human rights, and personnel disputes involving government employees. Judges also review the need for and reasonableness of all rules proposed by state agencies, and provide mediation services across Minnesota, including for disputes not pending before OAH. Administrative Law Judges also hear citizen-filed data practices complaints and fair campaign practices complaints.

Workers’ Compensation

Since 1981, OAH has had jurisdiction over disputed claims for workers’ compensation benefits. OAH resolves disputed claims for workers' compensation benefits involving injured workers and their employers in a fair and impartial manner. Workers’ Compensation Judges preside over hearings, mediations, settlement conferences and pretrial proceedings. Over 10,000 new workers’ compensation claims are filed every year.

Minnesota workers’ compensation law has changed significantly over the years. In 1913, Minnesota was the second state in the nation to enact a workers’ compensation law, and the Department of Labor and Industry was created to administer the system. Initial benefits were limited to $10 in wage loss per week for up to 300 weeks, plus $100 for medical expenses. In 1981, the legislature transferred Workers’ Compensation Judges and all workers' compensation hearing functions from the Department of Labor and Industry to OAH, and created the Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals.

Historic reports

Read more information about OAH's history:

Timeline of OAH History

1913 – Minnesota enacts its first workers’ compensation law and creates Department of Labor and Industry to administer workers’ compensation system.

1921 – Industrial Commission is created to hear workers’ compensation cases, formerly heard in the state’s district courts.

1967 – Legislature creates a Workers' Compensation Commission to hear appeals from decisions of the Industrial Commission.

1969 – Legislature passes the Minnesota Administrative Procedures Act.

1975 – Legislature creates the Office of Hearing Examiners, renamed Office of Administrative Hearings in 1981, and Governor Wendell Anderson appoints Duane Harves as first Chief Judge.

1976 – OAH opens its doors at 1745 University Avenue in Saint Paul.

1981 – Legislature transfers Workers’ Compensation Judges and all hearing functions from the Department of Labor and Industry to OAH, and creates the Workers’ Compensation Court of Appeals. The agency's name is changed to Office of Administrative Hearings.

1982 – OAH moves to the Flour Exchange Building at 310 Fourth Avenue South in Minneapolis.

1983 – Legislature enacts significant reforms of the workers’ compensation system.

1987 – OAH is granted jurisdiction over child support orders and modifications, ending in 1999 when the Minnesota Supreme Court held the process to be an unconstitutional delegation of judicial power to an executive branch agency.

1988 – Governor Rudy Perpich appoints William Brown as Chief Judge.

1992 – OAH moves to the Washington Square Building at 100 Washington Avenue in Minneapolis.

1993 – Governor Arne Carlson appoints Kevin Johnson as Chief Judge.

1995 – Minnesota legislature enacts major workers’ compensation benefit changes.

1997 – Governor Arne Carlson appoints Kenneth Nickolai as Chief Judge.

1998 – Settlement Judges are transferred from the Department of Labor and Industry to OAH.

2002 – OAH opens a Duluth office at 320 Second Street West.

2003 – Amendment to Minnesota’s Administrative Procedure Act allows recommended orders of Administrative Law Judges to become final orders if not acted upon by agency head within 90 days.

2004 – Cases involving fair campaign practices and financial reporting violations are jurisdictionally assigned to OAH.

2004 – Governor Tim Pawlenty appoints Raymond Krause as Chief Judge.

2005 – Legislature transfers Municipal Boundary Adjustment Unit from the Department of Administration to OAH.

2007 – OAH moves to Stassen Building at 600 N. Robert Street in Saint Paul.

2011 – Duluth office moves to 11 Superior Street East.

2013 – Governor Mark Dayton appoints Tammy L. Pust as Chief Judge.

2019 – Governor Tim Walz appoints Jenny Starr as Chief Judge.

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History

Administrative Law

Workers’ Compensation

Historic reports