Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2007/08/28/E7-16143/regulations-implementing-the-freedom-of-information-act
Timestamp: 2017-08-21 00:13:04
Document Index: 788113880

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 1304', 'art 1304', '§\u20091304', '§\u20091304', '§\u20091304', '§\u20091304', '§\u20091304']

A Proposed Rule by the Millennium Challenge Corporation on 08/28/2007
49238-49242 (5 pages)
22 CFR 1304
List of Subjects in 22 CFR Part 1304
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/E7-16143 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/E7-16143
John Mantini, FOIA Officer, 202-521-3863.
Send comments to John Mantini, FOIA Officer, Office of the General Counsel, Millennium Challenge Corporation, 875 Fifteenth Street, NW., Washington, DC 20005-2221.
The Millennium Challenge Act (MCA) of 2003 established a new federal agency called the Millennium Challenge Corporation. Congress enacted the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in 1966 and last modified it with the Electronic Freedom of Information Act amendments of 1996. This proposed rule addresses electronically available documents, procedures for making requests, agency handling of requests, records not disclosed, changes in fees, and public reading rooms as well as other related provisions.
For the reasons set forth in the preamble, the Millennium Challenge Corporation proposes to amend Chapter XIII of title 22 by adding a new part 1304 to read as follows:
(a) Agency has the meaning set forth in 5 U.S.C. 552(f)(1).
(b) Commercial use requester means a requester seeking information for a use or purpose that furthers the commercial, trade, or profit interests of himself or the person on whose behalf the request is made, which can include furthering those interests through litigation. In determining whether a request properly belongs in this category, the FOIA Officer shall determine the use to which the requester will put the documents requested. Where the FOIA Officer has reasonable cause to doubt the use to which the requester will put the records sought, or where that use is not clear from the request itself, the FOIA Officer shall contact the requester for additional clarification before assigning the request to a specific category.
(c) Confidential commercial information means records provided to the government by a submitter that arguably contains material exempt from disclosure under Exemption 4 of the FOIA, because disclosure could reasonably be expected to cause substantial competitive harm.
(d) Direct costs mean those expenditures by MCC actually incurred in searching for and duplicating records in response to the FOIA request. These costs include the salary of the employee(s) performing the work (basic rate of pay plus a percentage of that rate to cover benefits) and the cost of operating duplicating machinery. Direct costs do not include overhead expenses, such as the cost of space, heating, or lighting of the facility in which the records are stored.
(e) Duplication means the process of making a copy of a record in order to respond to a FOIA request, including paper copies, microfilm, audio-video materials, and computer diskettes or other electronic copies.
(f) Educational institution refers to a preschool, a public or private elementary or secondary school, an institute of undergraduate higher education, an institute of graduate higher education, an institute of professional education, or an institute of vocational education which operates a program of scholarly research. To qualify for this category, the requester must show that the request is authorized by and is made under the auspices of a qualifying institution and that the records are not sought for a commercial use, but are sought to further scholarly research.
(g) FOIA means the Freedom of Information Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. 552).
(h) FOIA Officer means the MCC employee who is authorized to make determinations as provided in this part. The mailing address for the FOIA Officer is: Millennium Challenge Corporation, Attn: FOIA Officer, 875 Fifteenth Street, NW., Washington, DC 20005.
(i) Non-commercial scientific institution refers to an institution that is Start Printed Page 49239not operated on a “commercial” basis as that term is used in paragraph (a) of this section, and which is operated solely for the purpose of conducting scientific research the results of which are not intended to promote any particular product or industry. To qualify for this category, the requester must show that the request is authorized by and is made under the auspices of a qualifying institution and that the records are not sought for a commercial use, but are sought to further scholarly research.
(j) Record means information or documentary material MCC maintains in any form or format, including an electronic form or format, which MCC:
(2) Preserved or determined is appropriate for preservation as evidence of MCC operations or activities or because of the value the information it contains; and
(k) Representative of the news media means any person actively gathering news for an entity that is organized and operated to publish or broadcast news to the public. The term “news” means information that is about current events or that would be of current interest to the public. For a “freelance journalist” to be regarded as working for a news organization, the requester must demonstrate a solid basis for expecting publication through that organization, such as a publication contract. Absent such showing, the requester may provide documentation establishing the requester's past publication record. To qualify for this category, the requester must not be seeking the requested records for a commercial use. However, a request for records supporting a news-dissemination function shall not be considered to be for a commercial use.
(l) Requester means any person, including an individual, corporation, firm, organization, or other entity, who makes a request to MCC under FOIA for records.
(m) Review means the process of examining a record to determine whether all or part of the record may be withheld, and includes redacting or otherwise processing the record for disclosure to a requester. It does not include time spent:
(n) Search means the time spent locating records responsive to a request, manually or by electronic means, including page-by-page or line-by-line identification of responsive material within a record.
(o) Submitter means any person or entity which provides information directly or indirectly to MCC. The term includes, but is not limited to, corporations, state governments and foreign governments.
(p) Working day means a Federal workday that does not include Saturdays, Sundays, or Federal holidays.
(2) MCC shall assess fees for searching, reviewing, or duplicating reading room records in accordance with § 1304.9.
(2) The requester's full name, mailing address, and a telephone number where the requester can be reached during normal business hours;
(4) At the discretion of the requester, a dollar limit on the fees MCC may incur to respond to the request for records. MCC shall not exceed such limit.
(b) Authority to grant or deny requests. The FOIA Officer shall make initial determinations either to grant or deny in whole or in part a request for records. When the FOIA Officer denies the request in whole or in part, the FOIA Officer shall notify the requester of the denial, the grounds for the denial, and the procedures for appeal of the denial under § 1304.8.
(2) The FOIA Officer may use multi-track processing in responding to requests. This process entails separating simple requesters that require rather Start Printed Page 49240limited review from more lengthy and complex requests. Requests in each track are then processed according to paragraph (d)(1) of this section in their respective track.
(6) If no initial determination has been made at the end of the 20 day period provided for in paragraph (d)(4) of this section, including any extension, the requester may appeal the action to the FOIA Appeals Officer.
(f) Providing responsive records. The FOIA Officer shall provide one copy of a record to a requester in any form or format requested if the record is readily reproducible by MCC in that form or format by regular U.S. mail to the address indicated in the request, unless other arrangements are made. At the option of the requester and upon the requester's agreement to pay fees in accordance with § 1304.9, the FOIA Officer shall provide copies by facsimile transmission or other express delivery methods.
(5) Inter-or intra-agency memorandums or letters that would not be available by law to a party other than an agency in litigation with MCC.
(a) Notice to submitters. The FOIA Officer shall, to the extent permitted by law, provide a submitter who provides confidential commercial information to the FOIA Officer, with prompt notice of a FOIA request or administrative appeal encompassing the confidential Start Printed Page 49241commercial information if the Commission may be required to disclose the information under the FOIA. Such notice shall either describe the exact nature of the information requested or provide copies of the records or portions thereof containing the confidential commercial information. The FOIA Officer shall also notify the requester that notice and an opportunity to object has been given to the submitter.
(1) The information has been designated by the submitter as confidential commercial information protected from disclosure. Submitters of confidential commercial information shall use good faith efforts to designate either at the time of submission or a reasonable time thereafter, those portions of their submissions they deem protected from disclosure under Exemption 4 of the FOIA because disclosure could reasonably be expected to cause substantial competitive harm. Such designation shall be deemed to have expired ten years after the date of submission, unless the requester provides reasonable justification for a designation period of greater duration; or
(b) Notice of appeal.—(1) Timing for appeal. An appeal must be received no later than thirty (30) working days after notification of denial of access to records or after the time limit for response by the FOIA Officer has expired. Prior to submitting an appeal any outstanding fees related to FOIA requests must be paid in full.
(2) Method of appeal. An appeal shall be initiated by filing a written notice of appeal. The notice shall be accompanied by copies of the original request and initial denial of access to records. To expedite the appellate process and give the requester an opportunity to present his or her arguments, the notice should contain a brief statement of the reasons why the requester believes the initial denial of access to records to have been in error. The appeal shall be addressed to the Millennium Challenge Corporation, Attn: FOIA Appeals Officer, 875 Fifteenth Street, NW., Washington, DC 20005.
(a) General. Fees pursuant to the FOIA shall be assessed according to the schedule contained in paragraph (b) of this section for services rendered by MCC in response to requests for records under this part. MCC's fee practices are governed by the FOIA and by the Office of Management and Budget's Uniform Freedom of Information Act Fee Schedule and Guidelines. All fees shall be charged to the requester, except where the charging of fees is limited under paragraph (d) of this section or whether a waiver or reduction of fees is granted under paragraph (c) of this section. Payment of fees should be in U.S. Dollars in the form of either a check or bank draft drawn on a bank in the United States or a money order. Payment should be made payable to the Treasury of the United States and mailed to the Millennium Challenge Corporation, 875 Fifteenth Street, NW., Washington, DC 20005.
(b) Charges for responding to FOIA requests. The following fees shall be assessed in responding to requests for records submitted under this part, unless a waiver or reduction of fees has been granted pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section: Start Printed Page 49242
(1) Duplications. The FOIA Officer shall charge $0.20 per page for copies of documents up to 81/2 x 14. For copies prepared by computer, the FOIA Officer will charge actual costs of production of the computer printouts, including operator time. For other methods of reproduction, the FOIA Officer shall charge the actual costs of producing the documents.
(2) Searches.—(i) Manual searches. Search fees will be assessed at the rate of $25.30 per hour. Charges for search time less than a full hour will be in increments of quarter hours.
(d) Types of requesters. There are four categories of FOIA requesters: Commercial use requesters; educational and non-commercial scientific institutional requesters; representatives of the news media; and all other requesters. These terms are defined in § 1304.2. The following specific levels of fees are prescribed for each of these categories:
(h) Advance payment of fees. Fees may be paid upon provision of the requested records, except that payment will be required prior to that time if the requester has previously failed to pay fees or if the FOIA Officer determines the total fee will exceed $250.00. When payment is required in advance of the processing of a request, the time limits prescribed in § 1304.5 shall not be deemed to begin until the FOIA Officer has received payment of the assessed fee. Where it is anticipated that the cost of providing the requested record will exceed $25.00 but fall below $250.00 after the free duplication and search time has been calculated, MCC may, in its discretion may require either:
Chief FOIA Officer, Millennium Challenge Corporation.
[FR Doc. E7-16143 Filed 8-27-07; 8:45 am]