5. a. If an authorized agent believes that a critical witness will not be available for a scheduled hearing and requests a postponement in order to produce the witness, the authorized agent shall, after consulting with the client, provide the division with the name, address, and title of the witness, the reason the witness is unable to attend, the general nature and importance of the witness’s testimony, and an explanation of why there is no other witness able to provide the essential testimony that the critical witness would provide. Upon request, the authorized agent shall submit a written statement of its request and supporting documentation or sworn affidavit to the division.

b. If a postponement request is denied, the authorized agent shall notify the client that the hearing will go forward as scheduled and advise the client to appear. In the event that a postponement request made pursuant to subsection a. of this section is denied, the client shall be advised to appear with or without the critical witness or another witness, and that it may renew the postponement request at the hearing by requesting a continuance of the hearing.

c. In the event that the client or agent does not appear at a scheduled hearing without requesting a postponement, or that a postponement request is made but properly denied and the agent or the client does not appear, no further hearings will be scheduled at the request of the client or agent, unless the client or agent can demonstrate to the satisfaction of a representative of the division that the failure to appear was due to circumstances beyond the control of the client or agent.

L.2010, c.82, s.5.