(a) A request for appeal to the State committee from a decision of a county committee must be submitted by a participant or by a participant's authorized representative in writing and addressed to the State Executive Director.

(b) A participant's right to appeal a decision to a State committee is waived if a participant has appealed the adverse decision to NAD before requesting an appeal to the State Committee.

(c) If a participant requests mediation or requests an appeal to NAD before a request for an appeal to the State Committee has been acted upon, the appeal to the State Committee will be deemed withdrawn. The deemed withdrawal of a participant's appeal to the State Committee will not preclude a subsequent request for a State Committee hearing on appealable matters not resolved in mediation.

(d) The Federal Rules of Evidence do not apply in appeals to a State committee. Notwithstanding, a State committee may confine presentations of evidence to material facts and exclude evidence or questions as irrelevant, unduly repetitious, or otherwise inappropriate.

(e) The official record of a State committee decision on an appeal will be the decision letter that is issued following disposition of the appeal.

(f) Deliberations shall be in confidence except to the extent that a State committee may request the assistance of FSA employees during deliberations.