Sec. 14. (a) An administrative law judge conducting a proceeding shall keep a record of the administrative law judge's proceedings under this article.
(b) If a motion is based on facts not otherwise appearing in the record for the proceeding, the administrative law judge may hear the matter on affidavits presented by the respective parties or the administrative law judge may direct that the matter be heard wholly or partly on oral testimony or depositions.
(c) At each stage of the proceeding, the agency or other person requesting that an agency take action or asserting an affirmative defense specified by law has the burden of persuasion and the burden of going forward with the proof of the request or affirmative defense. Before the hearing on which the party intends to assert it, a party shall, to the extent possible, disclose any affirmative defense specified by law on which the party intends to rely. If a prehearing conference is held in the proceeding, a party notified of the conference shall disclose the party's affirmative defense in the conference.
(d) The proceedings before an administrative law judge are de novo.