20 C.F.R. § 404.944 : Employees' Benefits — SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION — FEDERAL OLD-AGE, SURVIVORS AND DISABILITY INSURANCE (1950- ) — DETERMINATIONS, ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW PROCESS, AND REOPENING OF DETERMINATIONS AND DECISIONS —ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE HEARING PROCEDURES — Administrative law judge hearing procedures-general

A hearing is open to the parties and to other persons the administrative law judge considers necessary and proper. At the hearing, the administrative law judge looks fully into the issues, questions you and the other witnesses, and, subject to the provisions of §404.935: Accepts as evidence any documents that are material to the issues; may stop the hearing temporarily and continue it at a later date if he or she finds that there is material evidence missing at the hearing; and may reopen the hearing at any time before he or she mails a notice of the decision in order to receive new and material evidence. The administrative law judge may decide when the evidence will be presented and when the issues will be discussed.