CFR

1820.2—Requirements for making FOIA requests.

(a) How made and addressed. A request for OSC records under the FOIA should be made by writing to the agency. The request should be sent by regular mail addressed to: FOIA Officer, U.S. Office of Special Counsel, 1730 M Street, N.W. (Suite 218), Washington, DC 20036-4505. Such requests may also be faxed to the FOIA Officer at the number provided on the FOIA page of OSC's web site (see § 1820.1 ). For the quickest handling, both the request letter and envelope or any fax cover sheet should be clearly marked “FOIA Request.” Whether sent by mail or by fax, a FOIA request will not be considered to have been received by OSC until it reaches the FOIA Officer.

(b) Description of records sought. Requesters must describe the records sought in enough detail for them to be located with a reasonable amount of effort. When requesting records about an OSC case file, the case file number, name, and type (for example, prohibited personnel practice, Hatch Act, USERRA or other complaint; Hatch Act advisory opinion; or whistleblower disclosure) should be provided, if known. Whenever possible, requests should describe any particular record sought, such as the date, title or name, author, recipient, and subject matter.

(c) Agreement to pay fees. Making a FOIA request shall be considered an agreement by the requester to pay all applicable fees chargeable under § 1820.7, up to and including the amount of $25.00, unless the requester asks for a waiver of fees. When making a request, a requester may specify a willingness to pay a greater or lesser amount.

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