After receipt of an application for an adjudicative proceeding, other than a declaratory order, an agency shall proceed as follows:
(1) Except in situations governed by subsection (2) or (3) of this section, within ninety days after receipt of the application or of the response to a timely request made by the agency under subsection (2) of this section, the agency shall do one of the following:
(a) Approve or deny the application, in whole or in part, on the basis of brief or emergency adjudicative proceedings, if those proceedings are available under this chapter for disposition of the matter;
(b) Commence an adjudicative proceeding in accordance with this chapter; or
(c) Dispose of the application in accordance with RCW 34.05.416;
(2) Within thirty days after receipt of the application, the agency shall examine the application, notify the applicant of any obvious errors or omissions, request any additional information the agency wishes to obtain and is permitted by law to require, and notify the applicant of the name, mailing address, and telephone number of an office that may be contacted regarding the application;
(3) If the application seeks relief that is not available when the application is filed but may be available in the future, the agency may proceed to make a determination of eligibility within the time limits provided in subsection (1) of this section. If the agency determines that the applicant is eligible, the agency shall maintain the application on the agency's list of eligible applicants as provided by law and, upon request, shall notify the applicant of the status of the application.
[1988 c 288 § 404.]