HB 790 amends Chapter 13 of Title 50 of the O.C.G.A. to implement recommendations made by the Court Reform Council to improve efficiency and achieve best practices in the administration of justice. These include (1) requiring agencies to forward hearing requests to the Office of State Administrative Hearings within a period of reasonable time not to exceed 30 days and if the agency fails to do so, the party requesting the hearing may petition the Office for an order permitting such party to file a request for a hearing directly with the Office, (2) allowing administrative law judges to impose civil penalties of no less than $100.00 and no more than $1,000.00 for failing to obey any lawful process or order of the judge or any rule or regulation in this code, for any indecorous or improper conduct committed in the presence of the judge, or for submitting pleadings or paper for an improper purpose or containing frivolous arguments or arguments with no evidentiary support, (3) allowing administrative law judges to issue final decisions, and (4) giving these judges the power to enforce subpoenas and sanction parties.