(a) In the event that the hearing official considers a prehearing conference necessary, he may convene a prehearing conference.
(b) The purpose of a prehearing conference is to allow the parties to settle or narrow the dispute. A prehearing conference consists of--
(1) A telephone conference call;
(2) An informal meeting of the parties with the hearing official; or
(3) The submission and exchange of written materials by the parties.
(c) All prehearing conferences requiring appearances by the parties shall take place in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1094) [52 FR 30115, Aug. 12, 1987, correctly designated at 52 FR 46354, Dec. 7, 1987, as amended at 57 FR 47753, Oct. 19, 1992]