CFR

2502.10—Appeals to the Deputy Director from initial denials.

(a) When the General Counsel or his or her designee had denied a request for records in whole or in part, the person making the request may, within 30 days of its receipt, appeal the denial to the Deputy Director. The appeal must be in writing, addressed to the Deputy Director, Office of Administration, 725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503 and clearly labeled as a “Freedom of Information Act Appeal”.

(b) The Deputy Director will act upon the appeal within 20 workdays of its receipt. The Deputy Director may extend the 20 day period of time by any number of workdays which could have been claimed and consumed by the General Counsel or his or her designee under § 2502.9 but which were not claimed and consumed in making the initial determination. The Office of Administration's action on an appeal shall be in writing, signed by the Deputy Director of the Office.

(c) If the decision is in favor of the person making the request, the Deputy Director shall order records promptly made available to the person making the request.

(d) A denial in whole or in part of a request on appeal shall set forth the exemption relied on and a brief explanation of how the exemption applied to the records withheld and the reasons for asserting it, if different from that described by the General Counsel or his or her designee under § 2502.10. The denial shall state that the person making the request may, if dissatisfied with the decision on appeal, file a civil action in the district in which the person resides or has his principal place of business, in the district where the records are located, or in the District of Columbia.

(e) No personal appearance, oral argument or hearing will ordinarily be permitted in connection with an appeal to the Office of Administration.

(f) On appeal, the Office may reduce any fees previously assessed.

Code of Federal Regulations

[45 FR 47112, July 14, 1980. Redesignated and amended at 49 FR 28234, July 11, 1984; 56 FR 5742, Feb. 13, 1991]

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