4.__Award costs.__Shall award costs and attorney's fees pursuant to section 1173;

5.__Interim order.__Shall levy a civil penalty pursuant to section 1171-B, subsection 3 when a party to a complaint under this subchapter is found to have recklessly or knowingly failed, neglected or refused to comply with an interim order issued by the board; and

6.__Procedures.__May appoint persons to be present at the deposition of out-of-state witnesses, administer oaths, issue subpoenas to compel the presence of witnesses or documents and authorize stenographic or recorded transcripts of proceedings.

§1188-A.__Prehearing conference

Prior to hearing a complaint, but not later than 45 days after the filing of the complaint, the board shall require the parties to attend a prehearing conference with the chair to discuss the possibility of settlement.__If the matter is not resolved through the conference, the matter must be placed on the board's calendar for hearing.__Settlement conference discussions remain confidential and may not be disclosed or used as an admission in any subsequent hearing.

§1189.__Hearings

The board shall hold a hearing on the merits of a complaint within 120 days of the filing of the complaint.__The hearing must be conducted pursuant to rules established by the board.__A decision must be issued within 30 days of the completion of the hearing.__The board shall determine the location of hearings.

§1189-A.__Discovery

The parties to a hearing conducted pursuant to this subchapter are permitted to conduct and use the same discovery procedures as provided in the Maine Rules of Civil Procedure, subject to any amendments to the rules as the board might adopt to secure that discovery is expedited.

Compliance with discovery procedures authorized by this section and by rule may be enforced by application to the board or on the board's own motion.

§1189-B.__Appeal