2015 Chief FOIA Officer Report for the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board CRRBl 

The RRB submits this report for 2015 in response to the request in the United States 

Department of Justice Office of Information Policy FOIA Post, "Guidelines for 

2015 Chief FOIA Officer Reports." The report has been prepared by Karl T. Blank, 

General Counsel/Chief FOIA Officer, RRB. 

Section I: Steps Taken to Apply the Presumption of Openness 

The guiding principle underlying the President's FOIA Memorandum and the 

Attorney General's FOIA Guidelines is the presumption of openness. 

Describe the steps your agency has taken to ensure that the presumption of 

openness is being applied to all decisions involving the FOIA. To do so, you 

should answer the questions listed below and then include any additional 

information you would like to describe how your agency is working to apply the 

presumption of openness. 

FOIA Training: 

l. Did your FOIA professionals or the personnel at your agency who have 

FOIA responsibilities attend any FOIA training or conference during the 

reporting period such as that provided by the Department of Justice? 

Yes. The RRB is a small, independent agency in the Executive Branch of 

the Federal government. As the RRB's General Counsel/Chief FOIA 

Officer, I am responsible for the RRB's overall FOIA program. I have 

made certain that all FOIA staff are properly trained concerning the 

President's FOIA memorandum and the Attorney General's FOIA 

guidelines and are responsible in carrying out those responsibilities as 

they respond to all FOIA requests . During this reporting period two 

General Attorney's on my staff attended a two and a half day "FOIA 

and Privacy Act Workshop" provided by the American Society of Access 

Professionals (ASAP) in Chicago, Illinois. 

2. Provide an estimate of the percentage of your FOIA professionals and 

staff with FOIA responsibilities who attended substantive FOIA training 

during this reporting period. 
2 

67 percent of the RRB's FOIA staff attended substantive training in FY 2014. 

3. In the 2014 Chief FOIA Officer Report Guidelines, OIP asked agencies to 

provide a plan for ensuring that core, substantive FOIA training is offered 

to all your agency FOIA professionals at least once a year. Please 

provide the status of your agency's implementation of this plan. 

We continue to monitor our FOIA training opportunities annually and 

provide for the necessary training as required . FOIA personnel are 

advised of training opportunities conducted by the Department of 

Justice. 

Discretionary Releases: 

4. Does your agency have a distinct process or system in place to review 

records for discretionary release? 

Yes. FOIA staff review all records that are responsive to a particular FOIA 

request. When there is a possibility of making a discretionary release, they 

consult with the agency's General Counsel/Chief FOIA Officer to 

determine that all records that are withheld under an exemption are 

reviewed for discretionary release. We make it a policy that, whenever 

possible, all responsive records that could technically be withheld should 

be reviewed a second time for discretionary release. 

5. During the reporting period, did your agency make any discretionary 

releases of information? 

The number of full grants to requests has continued to increase since FY 

2007 to the present, i.e., from 34 in FY 2007to117 in FY 2014. In FY 2008, 

the agency released 48 full grants and 5 partial grants. In FY 2009, the 

agency released 55 full grants and 15 partial grants. In FY 2010, the 

agency released 62 full grants and 4 partial grants. In FY 2011, the 

agency released 77 full grants and 3 partial grants. In 2012, the agency 

released 68 full grants and 7 partial grants. In 2013, the agency released 

67 full grants and 7 partial grants. In FY 2014, the agency released 117 

full grants and 1 partial grant. The RRB did make discretionary releases 

during FY 2014. However, due to the nature of records requested, as well 

as the small number of FOIA requests that are received by the agency, 
3 

only a small number were made. However, the RRB makes it a policy to 

make discretionary releases whenever possible. 

6. What exemption(s) would have covered the material released as a 

matter of discretion? 

Generally, when there is a possibility of a discretionary release being 

made by the RRB, exemption (b) (5) applies. 

7. Provide a narrative description, as well as some specific examples, of the 

types of information that your agency released as a matter of discretion 

during the reporting year. 

An example of a discretionary release by the RRB last year was release 

of certain travel records for the RRB 's headquarters and field office 

locations. 

8. If your agency was not able to make any discretionary releases of 

information, please explain why. 

Not applicable (N/ A). 

Other Initiatives: 

9. If there are any other initiatives undertaken by your agency to ensure that 

the presumption of openness is being applied, please describe them 

here. 

FOIA staff review all records that are responsive to a particular FOIA 

request. When there is a possibility of making a discretionary release, they 

consult with the agency's General Counsel/ Chief FOIA Officer. 
4 

Section II: Steps Taken to Ensure that Your Agency 

Has an Effective System in Place for Responding to Requests 

As the Attorney General emphasized in his FOIA Guidelines, "[a]pplication of 

the proper disclosure standard is only one part of ensuring transparency. Open 

government requires not just a presumption of disclosure, but also an effective 

system for responding to FOIA requests." It is essential that agencies effectively 

manage their FOIA program. 

This section should include a discussion of how your agency has addressed 

the key roles played by the broad spectrum of agency personnel who work with 

FOIA professionals in responding to requests, including, in particular, steps taken 

to ensure that FOIA professionals have sufficient IT support. 

Describe here the steps your agency has taken to ensure that its system for 

responding to requests is effective and efficient. To do so, answer the questions 

below and then include any additional information that you would like to 

describe how your agency ensures that your FOIA system is efficient and 

effective. 

Processing Procedures: 

1. For Fiscal Year 2014, what was the average number of days your agency 

reported for adjudicating requests for expedited processing? Please see 

Section VIII.A. of your agency's Fiscal Year 2014 Annual FOIA Report. 

Zero (0). 

2. If your agency's average number of days to adjudicate requests for 

expedited processing was above ten calendar days, please describe the 

steps your agency will take to ensure that requests for expedited 

processing are adjudicated within ten calendar days or less. 

N/A. 

Requester Services: 

3. Does your agency notify requesters of the mediation services offered by 

the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) at the National 

Archives and Records Administration? See OIP Guidance "Notifying 

Requesters of the Mediation Services Offered by OGIS" (July 9, 2010). 
5 

Yes. 

4. When assessing fees, does your agency provide a breakdown of how 

FOIA fees were calculated and assessed to the FOIA requester? For 

example, does your agency explain the amount of fees attributable to 

search, review, and duplication? See OIP Guidance, "The Importance of 

Good Communication with FOIA Requesters 2.0: Improving Both the 

Means and the Content of Requester Communications" (Nov. 22, 2013) . 

Yes. The RRB provides a full itemized breakdown of FOIA fees, including 

hourly and categorical breakdowns. 

5. If estimated fees are particularly high, does your agency provide an 

explanation for the estimate to the requester? See id. 

Yes. 

Other Initiatives: 

6. If there are any other steps your agency has undertaken to ensure that 

your FOIA system operates efficiently and effectively, such as conducting 

self-assessments to find greater efficiencies, improving search processes, 

eliminating redundancy, etc., please describe them here. 

We routinely review our entire FOIA processing system to identify any 

improvements and efficiencies which can be made. 
6 

Section Ill: Steps Taken to Increase Proactive Disclosures 

Both the President and Attorney General focused on the need for agencies 

to work proactively to post information online without waiting for individual 

requests to be received. 

Describe here the steps your agency has taken both to increase the amount 

of material that is available on your agency website, and the usability of such 

information, including providing examples of proactive disclosures that have 

been made during this past reporting period. In doing so, answer the questions 

listed below and describe any additional steps taken by your agency to make 

and improve proactive disclosures of information. 

Posting Material: 

1. Does your agency have a distinct process or system in place to identify 

records for proactive disclosure. If so, please describe your agency's 

process or system. 

The RRB annually updates its website to include current actuarial, 

statistical, and financial information concerning active and retired 

railroad employees. 

2. Does your process or system involve any collaboration with agency staff 

outside the FOIA office? If so, describe this interaction. 

We routinely continue to analyze and improve our release of "frequently 

requested" records consulting with agency administration, program, and 

operations bureaus with an emphasis on routine/recurring requests and 

website content. 

3. Describe your agency's process or system for identifying "frequently 

requested" records that should be posted online. 

See question 2, supra. 

4. Provide examples of material that your agency has proactively disclosed 

during the past reporting year, including links to the posted material. 

We continue to monitor FOIA webpage content to make sure it remains 

timely and consistent with current law. FOIA staff have the responsibility 

and authority to update the RRB website as necessary. The website offers 
7 

access to copies of the agency's procedure manuals, final decisions of 

the three-member Board which heads the agency, rulings of the Board 

and legal opinions. Other information is available to the public without 

filing a FOIA request in the Federal Register and the RRB Group 

Information Locator System (GILS) website. An example of additional 

material provided since the issuance of the new FOIA Guidelines include 

a more comprehensive list of the agency's procedural manuals. 

Additionally, five data sets of statistical information have been added to 

the RRB's Open Government Initiative located at 

http://www.rrb.gov/open/default.asp. 

High-Value Data Sets 

The RRB identified and published online in an open format five high-value data 

sets and registered those data sets via Data.gov. Going forward, the RRB will 

consider existing published data for conversion to open format for publication to 

Data.gov. 

High Value Information and Data Set Inventory 

The RRB High-Value Information and Data Set Inventory details the underlying 

data sets that are in an open format and accessible directly via Data.gov. 

High-Value Information and Data Set Inventory 

Information/Data Set Description URL 

Name 

Active Employees and A breakdown of 

Railroad Retirement Active Employees 

Act Beneficiaries by and Railroad 

State, 2008 Retirement Act 

Beneficiaries by 

State 

http://www.data.gov I details/ 1331 

Longevity of Railroad 

Retirement 

Beneficiaries 

Calculations of life http://www.data.gov/details/1332 

Railroad Retirement 

Act Annuitants and 

Active Railroad 

Employees by 

expectancies of 

Railroad Retirement 

beneficiaries. 

A breakdown of http://www.data.gov/details/l 330 

Railroad Retirement 

Act Annuitants and 

Active Railroad 
8 

Congressional District Employees by 

Congressional 

District. 

Total Number of 

Railroad Employees by 

State and Last 

Railroad Employer, 

2007 

Total Railroad 

Employment by State 

and County, 2007 

A breakdown of 

Railroad employees 

by State and Last 

Railroad Employer. 

A breakdown of 

Railroad employees 

by State and 

County. 

Open Government Webpage 

http://www.data.gov/details/ 455 

http://www.data .gov I details/ 456 

The RRB's Open Government Webpage (www.rrb.gov/open) serves as the 

gateway for agency activities related to the Open Government Directive. The 

site allows the public to provide input about the agency's Open Government 

Plan, give feedback regarding the quality of published information, and provide 

input about what information should be prioritized for publication to RRB staff via 

E-mail. 

Response to Public Input 

The RRB will respond to public input received on its Open Government 

Webpage within ten business days. 

Freedom of Information Act Report Publishing 

The RRB publishes its annual Freedom of Information Act Report in an open 

format on its Open Government Webpage (www.rrb.gov/open). The RRB does 

not have a backlog of requests to publish information in accordance with FOIA. 

Open Government Initiative Guidance 

The RRB will continue to observe guidance on implementing specific Presidential 

open government initiatives, such as Data.gov, Recovery.gov, and 

USAspending .gov. 

Improve the Quality of Government Information 
9 

To improve the quality of government information available to the public, the 

RRB will ensure that the information conforms to OMB guidance on information 

quality and that adequate systems and processes are in place within the RRB to 

promote such conformity. 

Designation of a Data Official 

The RRB designated the Director of Administration to be accountable for the 

quality and objectivity of, and internal controls over, the Federal spending 

information publicly disseminated through such public venues as 

USAspending.gov or other similar websites. 

Initiate Plan for Quarterly Data Information Quality Improvement 

The RRB awaits guidance on the longer-term comprehensive strategy of the 

Deputy Director for Management at OMB for Federal spending transparency, 

including the Federal Funding Accountability Transparency Act and the 

American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. The RRB designates the Director of 

Administration to respond to the OMB guidance for transparency in Federal 

spending. 

Create and Institutionalize a Culture of Open Government 

To create a sustained level of openness and accountability, the RRB will strive to 

incorporate the values of transparency, participation, and collaboration into the 

ongoing work of the agency. 

Open Government Plan 

The RRB's Open Government plan describes how the RRB embraces 

transparency and integrates public participation and collaboration into its 

activities and can be found at our Open Government Webpage 

(www.rrb.gov/open). The plan will be updated every two years. 

Incentive-Based Strategies 

The RRB has designated the Director of Administration to review the findings of 

the Deputy Director for Management at OMB about the use of challenges, 

prizes, and other incentive-backed strategies to find innovative or cost-effective 

solutions to improve open government. 

Create an Enabling Policy Framework for Open Government 
10 

Emerging technologies open new forms of communication between a 

government and the people. It is important that policies evolve to realize the 

potential of technology for open government. 

Clarifying Guidance and Proposed Revisions 

The RRB will observe guidance applicable to small agencies, from the 

Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), in 

consultation with the Federal Chief Information Officer and the Federal Chief 

Technology Officer, to promote greater openness in government. 

Transparency 

The RRB's long history of transparency is evident by the extensive amount of 

information frequently published on its website (www.rrb.gov) . To uphold and 

advance this strong commitment to transparency in the future, the RRB will 

continue to publish information in support of its mission to administer 

retirement/survivor and unemployment/sickness insurance benefit programs for 

railway workers and their families under the Railroad Retirement Act and the 

Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act. 

Agency Plans, Management and Reports 

The RRB Strategic Plan details the RRB's long and distinguished history of 

excellent customer service and the continuation of that tradition by calling for 

the attainment and maintenance of high levels of accuracy and timeliness in 

paying retirement, survivor, unemployment and sickness insurance benefits. The 

Agency Management and Reports webpage provides information on the RRB's 

structure, responsibilities to the public, and communication methods. The RRB 

Annual Report provides information on agency operations that are distributed to 

officials of railway management and labor, members of Congress, officials of 

the Federal Government, and requesting libraries 

http://www.rrb.gov/general/plan rpt inv .asp#fair 

http://www.rrb.gov/mep/agency mgt.asp 

http://www.rrb.gov/opa/AnnualRprt/Ann Rpt toe.asp 

Agency Procedure Manuals 

The Agency Procedure Manuals webpage is an index of the chapters in the 

various manuals used by the RRB in the processing of claims under either the 

Railroad Retirement or Railroad Unemployment Insurance Acts. 
11 

http://www.rrb.gov/general/admin manuals index.asp 

Board Coverage Decisions 

Board Coverage Decisions are the determinations of the three-member Board 

as to the status of various companies or persons with respect to coverage as 

employers or employees under the Railroad Retirement and Railroad 

Unemployment Insurance Acts. 

http://www.rrb.gov/blow /bed/ cov introduction .asp 

Congressional Requests 

The Congressional Inquiry Section of the RRB's Office of Administration is 

responsible for responding to all inquiries from congressional offices concerning 

constituents, benefit claims or applications filed with the agency. 

Questions about proposed railroad retirement legislation, the status of pending 

legislation, or congressional schedules, hearings or committee jurisdiction should 

be directed to the Office of Legislative Affairs (ola@rrb.gov). 

http://www.rrb.gov/opa/rrbcongress contacts.asp 

Federal Register 

The Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and 

notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and 

other presidential documents. Descriptions of agency organization, procedures 

for the public to obtain information, statements of agency function, rules of 

procedure, descriptions of agency forms, substantive rules of general 

applicability and statements of general policy, and any changes in material 

required to be published are available through the Office of the Federal 

Register, National Archives and Records Administration {NARA). 

http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html 

http://www.rrb.gov/irm/fedreg notices.asp 

http://www.rrb.gov/irm/fedreg regs.asp 

Financial, Actuarial and Statistical Data 

The RRB Financial, Actuarial and Statistical Data webpage consists of the 

following sections: 
12 

Annual Railroad Retirement Act and Railroad Unemployment Insurance 

Act Data 

Budget and Financial Reports: Current and Projected 

Earnings Limits, Tax Rates and COLA's 

Monthly and Quarterly Railroad Retirement Act and Railroad 

Unemployment Insurance Act Data 

Performance and Accountability Reports 

http://www.rrb.gov/mep/fin act stat .asp 

Forms and Publications 

The Railroad Retirement Handbook provides a comprehensive single source of 

authoritative information on the development and character of the railroad 

retirement and railroad unemployment insurance systems. The Benefit Forms and 

Publications webpage provides information on Unemployment & Sickness 

Benefits, Retirement & Survivor Benefits, Medicare, Income Tax, Protests and 

Appeals, and Work/Earnings. The Employer Forms and Publications webpage 

provides content from the Exhibits Section of the Labor Reporting, Employer 

Reporting and Sickness Reporting Instructions, and publications in the format of 

Employer Exchange Newsletters and Office of the Labor Member Questions and 

Answers. 

http://www.rrb.gov/general/handbook/toe.asp 

http://www.rrb.gov/mep/ben forms.asp 

http://www.rrb.gov/mmo/rail forms.asp 

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA} 

The RRB is required under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA} to disclose 

records requested in writing by any person . However, we may withhold 

information under certain exemptions and exclusions provided by the statute. In 

addition, the Railroad Retirement Act, the Railroad Unemployment Insurance 

Act, and the Privacy Act restrict disclosure of information about individuals. 

http://www.rrb.gov/blaw/foia /foia.asp 

Information Dissemination 

In accordance w ith Section 3506(d) of the Paperwork Reduction Act and 

Section 515 of Public Law 106-554 the RRB has developed a procedure to allow 

one to seek and obtain correction of certain information RRB maintains and 
13 

disseminates. Procedures to seek correction of information under section 515 do 

not replace other established procedures for challenges to disseminated 

information. Challenges to information disseminated in the course of rulemaking 

should be made through the channels established for that purpose. 

http://www.rrb.gov/bis/section515/introduction.asp 

http://www.rrb.gov/bis/section515/guidelines.asp 

http://www.rrb.gov/bis/section515/correct.asp 

IMPAC Credit Card Holders List 

The RRB receives frequent requests under the Freedom of Information Act for a 

list of the IMPAC credit card holders at the agency. In accord with section 4 of 

the Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments of 1996 (P .L. 104-231), 

the RRB posts the list of credit card holders. 

http://www.rrb.gov/qeneral/im pac .asp 

News Releases 

The RRB News webpage provides access to periodic news releases distributed to 

editors of railway publications and major newspapers, officials of railway 

management and labor, and requesting agencies and organizations in and 

outside of the Federal Government. 

http://www.rrb.gov/mep/news releases.asp 

Paperwork Reduction Act 

The RRB is essentially compliant with the information dissemination requirements 

of the PRA. 

Privacy Act - Privacy Act Systems of Records 

The RRB Privacy Act webpage provides information on one's right to records 

which the RRB maintains about individuals, including individuals in the railroad 

industry. The text of all of the RRB's Privacy Act Systems of Records, as published 

in the Federal Register, are available for study. 

http://www.rrb.gov/bis/privacy act/introduction.asp 

http://www.rrb.gov/bis /privacy act /SORN List.asp 
14 

Records Management 

The RRB records schedules are in transition. We will post updated RRB records 

schedules to www.rrb.gov upon completion of all remaining NARA Bulletin 2006-

02-related RRB/NARA appraisal work later in FY 2010. 

RRBVision 

The RRBVision service allows users to view video presentations with 

accompanying training materials, such as PowerPoint presentations or online 

screens. Presentations can be viewed in real time or saved for later viewing. 

These presentations covered instructions in filing for sickness and unemployment 

benefits under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, filing for retirement 

benefits under the Railroad Retirement Act, completing a variety of 

compensation-reporting forms and navigating the Board's Web site. 

http://www.rrb.gov/rrbvision/video library.asp 

Many of the records posted on the agency website were created 

specifically to be made available to the public, such as press releases, 

reports, and other RRB-produced material. Many of the records online 

have traditionally been widely disseminated by the agency. 

Other Initiatives: 

5. If there are any other steps your agency has taken to increase proactive 

disclosures, please describe them here. 

The RRB is currently in the process of digitizing, indexing, and cataloging 

258 binders of Legal Opinions maintained in the Board' s Office of General 

Counsel so they are electronically retrievable by Board staff and the 

public through www.rrb.gov , including attorneys, claimants, railroad 

employers, etc. 
15 

Section IV: Steps Taken to Greater Utilize Technology 

A key component of the Presid ent's FOIA Mem orandum was the d irection to 

"use modern technology to inform citizens about what is known and done by 

their Government." In addition to using the internet to make proactive 

disclosures, agencies should also be exploring ways to utilize technology in 

responding to requests. 

Making Material Posted Online More Useful: 

1 . Beyond posting new material, is your agency taking steps to make posted 

information more useful to the public, especially to the community of 

individuals w ho regularly access your agency's website? 

Yes. 

2. If yes, please provide examples of such improvements. 

See "Spotlight on Success" below . 

3. Has your agency encountered challenges that make it difficult to post 

records you otherwise would like to post? 

No. 

4. If so, please briefly explain what those challenges are. 

N/A. 

Other Initiatives: 

5. Did your agency successfully post all four quarterly reports for Fiscal Year 

201 4? 

No. 

6. If your agency did not successfully post all quarterly reports, with 

information a ppearing on FOIA.gov, please explain why and provide your 

agency's plan for ensuring that such reporting is successful in Fiscal Year 

2015. 
16 

Due to unexpected delays caused by other agency priorities, specifically 

pending litigation cases, in conjunction with significant staffing shortages 

during most of FY 20 14, we were unable to comply with the quarterly 

reporting requirements 

7. Do your agency's FOIA professionals use e-mail or other electronic means 

to communicate with requesters where feasible? See OIP Guidance, "The 

Importance of Good Communication with FOIA Requesters 2.0: Improving 

Both the Means and the Content of Requester Communications" (Nov. 22, 

2013). If yes, what are the different types of electronic means which are 

utilized by your agency to communicate with requesters? 

Yes. E-mail is utilized to communicate with requesters where feasible. The 

RRB is not currently using other social media, such as Twitter, Facebook, 

etc., to communicate with requesters. 

8. If your agency does not communicate electronically with requests as a 

default, are there any limitations or restrictions for the use of such means? 

If yes, does your agency inform requesters about such limitations? See id. 

No. 
17 

Section V: Steps Taken to Improve Timeliness in 

Responding to Requests and Reduce Backlogs 

The President and the Attorney General have emphasized the importance of 

improving timeliness in responding to requests. This section addresses both time 

limits and backlog reduction. Backlog reduction is measured both in terms of 

numbers of backlogged requests or appeals and by looking at whether 

agencies closed their ten oldest requests, appeals and consultations. For the 

figures required in this Section, please use those contained in the specified 

sections of your agency's 2014 Annual FOIA Report, and where applicable, your 

agency's 2013 Annual FOIA Report. 

1. Does your agency utilize a separate track for simple requests? 

No. 

2. If so, for your agency overall, for Fiscal Year 201 4, was the average 

number of days to process simple requests twenty working days or fewer? 

N/A. 

3. Please provide the percentage of requests processed by your agency in 

Fiscal year 2014 that were placed in your simple track. 

Zero (0). 

4. If your agency does not track simple requests separately, was the 

average number of days to process non-expedited requests twenty 

working days or fewer? 

No. The average number of days to process non-expedited requests was 

38.58 days. 

BACKLOGGED REQUESTS 

5. If your agency had a backlog of requests at the close of Fiscal Year 2014, 

did that backlog decrease as compared with Fiscal Year 2013? 

The number of backlogged requests increased from 3 reported in FY 2013 

to 9 in FY 2014. 
18 

6. If you had a request backlog, please report the percentage of requests 

that make up the backlog out of the total number of requests received by 

your agency in Fiscal Year 2014. If your agency did not receive any 

requests in Fiscal Year 2014 and/or has no request backlog, please answer 

with "N/A." 

The percentage of requests that make up the backlog out of the total 

number of requests received by the RRB in FY 2014 is 0.06 percent. 

BACKLOGGED APPEALS 

7. If your agency had a backlog of appeals at the close of Fiscal Year 2014, 

did that backlog decrease as compared with the backlog reported at 

the end of Fiscal Year 2013? 

No backlog of appeals was reported by the RRB in FY 2013 or FY 2014. 

8. If you had an appeal backlog, please report the percentage of appeals 

that make up the backlog out of the total number of appeals received by 

your agency in Fiscal Year 2014. If your agency did not receive any 

appeals in Fiscal Year 2014 and/or has no appeal backlog, please answer 

"N/A." 

N/A. 

TEN OLDEST REQUESTS 

9. In Fiscal Year 2014, did your agency close the ten oldest requests that 

were reported pending in your Fiscal Year 2013 Annual FOIA Report? 

Yes. 

l O. If no, please provide the number of these requests your agency was able 

to close by the end of the fiscal year, as listed in Section Vll.E of your Fiscal 

Year 2013 Annual FOIA Report. If you had less than the ten total oldest 

requests to close, please indicate that. 

Three "ten total oldest requests" reported in FY 2013 were closed in FY 

2014. 

11. Of the requests your agency was able to close from your ten oldest, 

please indicate how many of these were closed because the request was 
19 

withdrawn by the requester. If any were closed because the request was 

withdrawn, did you provide any interim responses prior to the withdrawal? 

N/A. 

TENOLDESTAPPEALS 

12. In Fiscal Year 2014, did your agency close the ten oldest appeals that 

were pending in your Fiscal Year 2013 Annual FOIA Report? 

Yes. No "ten oldest appeals" were pending at the end of FY 2013. 

13. If no, please provide the number of these appeals your agency was able 

to close by the end of the fiscal year, as listed in Section Vll.C(5) of your 

Fiscal Year 2013 Annual FOIA Report. If you had less than ten total oldest 

appeals to close, please indicate that. 

N/A. 

TEN OLDEST CONSULTATIONS 

14. In Fiscal Year 2014, did your agency close the ten oldest consultations that 

were reported pending in your Fiscal Year 2013 Annual FOIA Report? 

Yes. No "ten oldest consultations" were pending at the end of FY 2013. 

15. If no, please provide the number of these consultations your agency was 

able to close by the end of the fiscal year, as listed in Section Xll.C. of your 

Fiscal Year 2013 Annual FOIA Report. If you had less than ten oldest 

consultations to close, please indicate that. 

N/A. 

16. Briefly explain any obstacles your agency faced in closing its ten oldest 

requests, appeals, and consultations from Fiscal Year 2013. 

N/A. 

17. If you agency was unable to close any of its ten oldest requests because 

you were waiting to hear back from other agencies on consultations you 
20 

sent, please provide the date the request was initially received by your 

agency, the date when your agency sent the consultation, and the date 

when you last contacted the agency where the consultation was 

pending. 

N/A. 

18. If your agency did not close its ten oldest pending requests, appeals, or 

consultations, please provide a plan describing how your agency intends 

to close those "ten oldest" requests, appeals, and consultations during 

Fiscal year 2015. 

N/A. 
21 

Use of FOIA's Law Enforcement "Exclusions" 

In order to increase transparency regarding the use of the FOIA's statutory 

law enforcement exclusions, which authorize agencies under certain 

exceptional circumstances to "treat the records as not subject to the 

requirements of [the FOIA]," 5 U.S.C. § 552(c)(l ), (2), (3), please answer the 

following questions: 

1 . Did your agency invoke a statutory exclusion during Fiscal Year 2012? 

No. 

2. If so, what is the total number of times exclusions were invoked? 

Not applicable. 

Spotlight on Success 

RSS Feeds & Email Subscriptions 

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a technology that allows organizations to 

deliver content to a desktop computer or other Internet device. By subscribing 

to RSS feeds, users can easily stay up-to-date with areas of the RRB's web site 

that are of interest and provide resultant feedback. RRB feeds consist of 

headline, brief summary, and a link that leads back to the agency's web site for 

more information. RRS feeds and email subscriptions are available for content 

such as Annual RRA & RUIA Data, Annual RRA & RUIA Data, Budget and 

Financial Reports, Earnings Limits, Tax Rates & COLA's, Monthly & Quarterly RRA & 

RUIA Data, Office of the Inspector General - Library, Open Government 

Initiative, Railroad Job Vacancies Reported to the RRB, Recent Updates on the 

RRB Web Site, and RRBVision Video Presentations. 

http://www.rrb.gov/rss/rss.asp