(1) An appeal from a redetermination issued by the agency in accordance with section 32a or a matter transferred for hearing and decision in accordance with section 32a shall be referred to the Michigan administrative hearing system for assignment to an administrative law judge. If the agency transfers a matter, or an interested party requests a hearing before an administrative law judge on a redetermination, all matters pertinent to the claimant’s benefit rights or to the liability of the employing unit under this act shall be referred to the administrative law judge. The administrative law judge shall afford all interested parties a reasonable opportunity for a fair hearing and, unless the appeal is withdrawn, the administrative law judge shall decide the rights of the interested parties and shall notify the interested parties of the decision, setting forth the findings of fact upon which the decision is based, together with the reasons for the decision. With respect to an appeal from a denial of redetermination, if the administrative law judge finds that there was good cause for the issuance of a redetermination, the denial shall be a redetermination affirming the determination and the appeal from the denial shall be an appeal from that affirmance. Unless an interested party would be unduly prejudiced, an administrative law judge may consolidate cases involving the same or substantially similar evidence or issues, hear the consolidated cases at the same date and time, create a single record of proceedings, and consider evidence introduced in 1 of those cases in the other cases. If the appellant fails to appear or prosecute the appeal, the administrative law judge may dismiss the proceedings or take other action considered advisable. An administrative law judge may, either upon application for rehearing by an interested party or on his or her own motion, proceed to rehear, affirm, modify, set aside, or reverse a prior decision on the basis of the evidence previously submitted in the case, or on the basis of additional evidence. The application or motion shall be made within 30 days after the date of mailing of the decision. The administrative law judge may, for good cause, reopen and review a prior decision and issue a new decision after the 30-day appeal period has expired. A request for review shall be made within 1 year after the date of mailing of the prior decision. An administrative law judge shall not participate in a case in which he or she has a direct or indirect interest.

    (2) Within 30 days after the mailing of a copy of a decision of the administrative law judge or of a denial of a motion for rehearing, an interested party may file an appeal to the Michigan compensation appellate commission, and unless such an appeal is filed, the decision or denial by the administrative law judge is final.