The National Appeals Division (NAD) of USDA was established by the Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994 (Title II of P.L.
103-354) to consolidate and improve the hearing procedures for USDA claims and disputes.
The statute and regulations provide that certain sections of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) (P.L.
79-404, as amended), including the hearing requirements, do not apply to NAD proceedings.
After a decision is made by an Administrative Judge, both the appellant and the agency have the right to a review by the NAD director, who then issues a final determination.