Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2015/09/30/2015-24703/freedom-of-information-act-regulations
Timestamp: 2017-10-20 06:02:31
Document Index: 462404117

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A Proposed Rule by the Interior Department on 09/30/2015
Comments on the rulemaking must be submitted on or before November 30, 2015.
58663-58669 (7 pages)
13XD4523WS DS10200000 DWSN00000.000000 WBS DP10202
1093-AA19
DOI-2015-0006
Freedom of Information Act - Amendments
https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2015-24703 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2015-24703
You may submit comments on the rulemaking by either of the methods listed below. Please use Regulation Identifier Number 1093-AA19 in your message.
In late 2012, the Department published a final rule updating and replacing the Department's previous Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) regulations. Since that time, in order to maintain the independence of the Office of Inspector General (OIG), the Department and the OIG have agreed to authorize the OIG to process their own FOIA appeals. Additionally, the Department has recently migrated its Web site to a new framework, leading to updated links. Finally, the Department has received feedback from its FOIA practitioners and requesters and identified areas where it would be possible to further update, clarify, and streamline the language of some procedural provisions. Therefore, the Department is proposing to make the following changes:
Section 2.1(e) would be amended to identify the regulations applicable to Privacy Act requests.
Section 2.5(d) would be amended to provide more guidance on what happens when a request does not reasonably describe the records sought.
Portions of § 2.6 would be amended to make explicit that a fee waiver request is a valid way of responding to a request for additional fee information and to emphasize fee issues must be resolved before processing will begin.
A sentence would be added to § 2.8(a) to require a bureau that cannot readily reproduce the requested record in the form or format requested to explain why it cannot.
Section 2.9(b) would be amended to remove a superfluous introductory phrase.
Section 2.10 would be amended to highlight the requirements a requester seeking expedited processing must meet and the consequences of not meeting those requirements.
Section 2.11 would be amended to reduce the suggested contact information provided by requesters.
Section 2.12(c) would be amended to emphasize that reasonable efforts must be made to search for requested records and to clarify when searching for requested records in electronic form or format will not occur.
A sentence would be added to § 2.15(e) to require bureaus to provide more information to requesters when placing them in a different processing track than requested.
Section 2.16(a) would be amended to clarify and streamline discussion of when the time period for responding to a request begins and ends.
The introductory language of § 2.19(a) would be amended to clarify when bureaus may extend the basic time limit.
Portions of § 2.20 would be amended to make explicit that expedited processing requests are only appropriate before the bureau issues its final response; to require bureaus to provide more information to requesters when denying expedited processing requests; and to clarify that the portion of an appeal that relates to an expedited processing denial, rather than the entire appeal, will be processed ahead of other appeals.
Section 2.22(c) and (d) would be amended to clarify when records may be released to requesters.
Section 2.23(a)(3) would be amended to add a clarifying phrase.
Section 2.24(b) would be amended and enlarged to require bureaus to provide more information to requesters in denial notifications.
Section 2.25(c) would be amended to clarify what information must be provided to requesters, and where, when portions of responsive records have been deleted.
Section 2.26 and § 2.27(a) would be amended to provide more information on when submitter notification is required.
One word in § 2.27(b) would be replaced to more closely track the language of Executive Order No. 12600, (52 FR 23781, published June 23, 1987).
Section 2.28(a) would be amended to clarify that a general description of the request would suffice for submitter notices published under § 2.27(b).
Section 2.31(a)(1) and (2) would be amended to clarify the information a submitter must provide when objecting to the release of responsive information under Exemption 4.
Section 2.37(g) would be added and § 2.49(a)(1) would be amended so the concept that requesters generally will not be charged if the fee for processing their request is less than $50 is introduced sooner.
Section 2.37(h) would be added to make the consequences of failure to pay bills for FOIA-related fees explicit.
Section 2.37(i) would be added to notify requesters they can seek assistance, when considering reformulating their request to meet their needs at a lower cost, from the bureau's designated FOIA contact or FOIA Public Liaison.
A sentence would be added to § 2.38(b) to require bureaus to provide more information to requesters when placing them in a different fee category than requested.
Section 2.39 would be amended to replace one word for the sake of grammatical consistency.
Section 2.42(d) would be amended to further discuss the impact of requester preferences for paper and/or electronic formats.
Section 2.44(b) would be amended to provide different examples of special services a requester might have to pay for.
The introductory language of §§ 2.45(a) and 2.48(a) would be amended to clarify what a requester must demonstrate to be entitled to a fee waiver.
Section 2.46(b) would be amended to clarify when fee waiver requests may be made.
Minor grammatical changes would be made to § 2.47(a), (c), and (d) to allow a new § 2.47(e) to increase clarity and require bureaus to provide the requester with notice of anticipated fees when denying a request for a fee waiver.
Section 2.48(a)(2)(v) would be amended to note that representatives of the news media will be presumed to have the ability and intent to disseminate the requested information to a reasonably broad audience of persons interested in the subject.
Section 2.49(c) would be amended to allow requesters more flexibility in resolving fee issues.
Portions of § 2.50 would be amended to clarify and streamline discussion of advance payments.
Section 2.51(b)(3) would be amended to ensure consistent phrasing.
Section 2.57(a)(5) and (6) would be amended to include minor, clarifying additions.
Section 2.60 would be amended to reflect that the FOIA Appeals Officer would no longer be the deciding official for FOIA appeals arising from OIG FOIA responses, and small portions of §§ 2.20(c), 2.24(b)(5), 2.47(d), 2.62, and 2.63 would also be amended to reflect this change.
Section 2.62 would be streamlined to follow the requirements of FOIA more closely.
Section 2.66 would be amended to provide more information on the role played by FOIA Public Liaisons.
A word would be added to the definition of “multitrack processing” in Section 2.70 to ensure it is consistent with Section 2.14.
Section 2.1(d), 2.1(g), 2.3(c), 2.21(a), 2.41(c), 2.59(a), 2.65, and 2.70 would be amended to reflect updated Web site links.
Executive Order (E.O) 12866 provides that the Office of Information and Start Printed Page 58665Regulatory Affairs will review all significant rules. The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs has determined that this rule is not significant.
This rule does not constitute a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. A detailed statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) is not required. Pursuant to Department Manual 516 DM 2.3A(2), Section 1.10 of 516 DM 2, Appendix 1 excludes from documentation in an environmental assessment or impact statement “policies, directives, regulations and guidelines of an administrative, financial, legal, technical or procedural nature; or the environmental effects of which are too broad, speculative or conjectural to lend themselves to meaningful analysis and will be subject late to the NEPA process, either collectively or case-by-case.”
Start Printed Page 58666 Authority: 5 U.S.C. 301, 552, 552a, 553; 31 U.S.C. 3717; 43 U.S.C. 1460, 1461.
2. Amend § 2.1 by:
a. In paragraph (d), the second sentence, removing the Web site address “ http://www.doi.gov/​foia/​guidance.cfm and adding in its place the Web site address https://www.doi.gov/​foia/​news/​guidance;​
c. In paragraph (g), the first sentence, removing the Web site address “ http://www.doi.gov/​foia/​libraries.cfm and adding in its place the Web site address “http://www.doi.gov/​foia/​libraries.
3. Amend § 2.3(c), the second sentence, by:
a. Removing the Web site address “ http://www.doi.gov/​foia/​index.cfm and adding in its place the Web site address “https://www.doi.gov/​foia;​ and
b. Removing the Web site address “ http://www.doi.gov/​foia/​contacts.cfm and adding in its place the Web site address “http://www.doi.gov/​foia/​contacts.
4. In § 2.5, revise paragraph (d) to read as follows:
(d) If the request does not reasonably describe the records sought, the bureau will inform you what additional information you need to provide in order to reasonably describe the records that you seek so the requested records can be located with a reasonable amount of effort. The bureau will also notify you that it will not be able to comply with your request unless the additional information it has requested is received from you in writing within 20 workdays and that you may appeal this determination. If you receive this type of notification, you may wish to discuss it with the bureau's designated FOIA contact or its FOIA Public Liaison (see § 2.66 of this part). If you do not provide the bureau with the additional information as discussed above, the bureau will presume that you are no longer interested in the records and will close the file on the request.
5. Amend § 2.6 by:
a. In paragraph (b) introductory text by adding the words “or request a fee waiver” after the words “pay processing fees”; and
b. Revising paragraphs (b)(3), (d), and (e).
(d) If you are seeking a fee waiver, your request must include a justification that addresses and meets the criteria in §§ 2.45, 2.48, and 2.56 of this part. Failure to provide sufficient justification will result in a denial of the fee waiver request. If you are seeking a fee waiver, you may also indicate the amount you are willing to pay if the fee waiver is denied. This allows the bureau to process the request for records while it considers your fee waiver request.
(e) The bureau will begin processing the request only after all issues regarding fees are resolved.
6. In § 2.8, add a sentence to the end of paragraph (a) to read as follows:
(a) * * * If the bureau cannot readily reproduce the record in that form or format, it must explain why it cannot.
7. In § 2.9, revise paragraph (b) to read as follows:
8. Revise § 2.10 to read as follows:
You may ask for the processing of your request to be expedited. If you are seeking expedited processing, your request must include a justification that addresses and meets the criteria in § 2.20 of this part. Failure to provide sufficient justification will result in a denial of the expedited processing request.
9. Revise § 2.11 to read as follows:
A request should include your name and a way (such as a mailing or email address) for the bureau to send responsive records to you and to request additional information or clarification of your request. You may also wish to include a daytime telephone number (or the name and telephone number of an appropriate contact).
10. In § 2.12, revise paragraph (c) to read as follows:
11. In § 2.15, add a sentence to the end of paragraph (e) to read as follows:
(e) * * * If you request placement in a particular processing track but the bureau places you in a different processing track, the bureau will provide you with an explanation of why you were not placed in the processing track you requested.
12. In § 2.16, revise paragraph (a) to read as follows:
(a) Ordinarily, the bureau has 20 workdays (including the date of receipt) to determine whether to comply with a request, but unusual circumstances may allow the bureau to take longer than 20 workdays (see § 2.19 of this subpart).
13. In § 2.19, revise paragraph (a) introductory text to read as follows:
14. In § 2.20, revise paragraphs (c), (f), and (g) to read as follows:
(c) You may ask for expedited processing of your request by writing to the appropriate FOIA contact in the bureau that maintains the records requested any time before the bureau issues its final response to your request. When making a request for expedited processing of an administrative appeal, submit the request to the appropriate deciding official for FOIA appeals.
(f) If expedited processing is denied, the bureau will:
(g) If you appeal the bureau's expedited processing decision, this portion of your appeal (if it is properly formatted under § 2.59 of this part) will be processed before appeals that do not challenge expedited processing decisions.
§ 2.21—[Amended]
15. In § 2.21(a), the second sentence, remove the Web site address “ http://www.doi.gov/​foia/​news/​guidance/​index.cfm and add in its place the Web site address “https://www.doi.gov/​foia/​news/​guidance.
16. Amend § 2.22 by:
b. In paragraph (d), adding the words “released or” after the words “the records will be”.
How will bureaus grant requests?
§ 2.23—[Amended]
17. In § 2.23(a)(3), add the words “and/or control” after the words “bureau's possession”.
18. In § 2.24, revise paragraph (b) to read as follows:
(3) A reference to any FOIA exemption applied by the bureau to withhold records in full or in part;
(4) An estimate of the volume of any records withheld in full or in part (for example, by providing the number of pages or some other reasonable form of estimation), unless an estimate would harm an interest protected by an exemption used to withhold the records;
19. In § 2.25, revise paragraph (c) to read as follows:
(c) If technically feasible, indicating the FOIA exemption under which the deletion of information was made, as required by paragraph (b) of this section, at the place in the record where the deletion was made.
20. Revise § 2.26 to read as follows:
May submitters of possibly confidential information designate confidential information when making Departmental submissions?
(a) The Department encourages, but does not require, submitters to designate confidential information in good faith (in other words, to identify specific information as information considered protected from disclosure under Exemption 4 of the FOIA, found at 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4)), at the time of submission or reasonably soon thereafter.
(b) The designations discussed in paragraph (a) of this section assist the bureau in determining whether information obtained from the submitter is confidential, but are not determinative; these designations therefore do not preempt the requirement for bureau-provided notifications under § 2.27 of this subpart.
21. Amend § 2.27 by:
b. In paragraph (b), removing the word “large” and adding in its place the word “voluminous”.
(a) Except as outlined in § 2.29 of this subpart, a bureau must promptly notify a submitter in writing when it receives a FOIA request if:
(1) The requested information has been designated by the submitter under § 2.26(a) of this subpart; or
(2) The requested information has not been designated by the submitter under § 2.26(a) of this subpart, but the requested information may be protected from disclosure under Exemption 4 of the FOIA, found at 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4).
22. In § 2.28, revise paragraph (a) to read as follows:
(a) Either a copy of the request, the exact language of the request, or (for notices published under § 2.27(b) of this subpart) a general description of the request;
23. In § 2.31, revise paragraphs (a)(1) and (2) to read as follows:
24. In § 2.37, add paragraphs (g), (h), and (i) to read as follows:
(g) If the fee for processing your request is less than $50, you will not be charged unless multiple requests are aggregated under § 2.54 of this subpart to an amount that is $50 or more.
(i) If you would like to reformulate your request so it will meet your needs at a lower cost, you may wish to seek assistance from the bureau's designated FOIA contact or its FOIA Public Liaison (see § 2.66 of this part).
25. In § 2.38, add a sentence to the end of paragraph (b) to read as follows:
(b) * * * If you request placement in a particular fee category but the bureau places you in a different fee category, the bureau will provide you with an explanation of why you were not placed in the fee category you requested (for example, if you were placed in the commercial use requester category rather than the category you requested, the bureau will describe how the records would further your commercial, trade, or profit interests).
§ 2.39—[Amended]
26. In § 2.39, in the table in paragraph (a), remove the word “non-commercial” and add in its place the word “noncommercial.”
§ 2.41—[Amended]
27. In § 2.41(c), remove the Web site address “ http://www.doi.gov/​foia/​fees-waivers.cfm and add in its place the Web site address “http://www.doi.gov/​foia/​fees-waivers.
28. In § 2.42, revise paragraph (d) to read as follows:
(d) If the bureau must scan paper records to accommodate your preference to receive records in an electronic format or print electronic records to accommodate your preference to receive records in a paper format, you will pay both the per page amount noted in Appendix A to this part and the time spent by personnel scanning or printing the requested records. For each quarter hour spent by personnel scanning or printing the requested records, the fees will be the same as those charged for a search under § 2.41(b) of this subpart.
29. In § 2.44, revise paragraph (b) to read as follows:
(b) Examples of these services include providing multiple copies of the same record, converting records that are not already maintained in a requested format to the requested format, obtaining research data under § 2.69 of this part, sending records by means other than first class mail, and conducting a search that requires the creation of a new computer search program to locate the requested records.
30. In § 2.45, in paragraph (a) introductory text, remove the words “under the factors” and add in their place the words “by addressing and meeting each of the criteria”.
31. In § 2.46, revise paragraph (b) to read as follows:
32. Amend § 2.47 by:
a. In paragraph (a), removing the period at the end of the paragraph and adding in its place a semicolon;
b. In paragraph (c), removing the word “and” at the end of the paragraph;
c. In paragraph (d), removing the period at the end of the paragraph and adding in its place “; and”; and
(e) Your anticipated fees, in accordance with § 2.49 of this subpart.
33. Amend § 2.48 by revising paragraph (a) introductory text and adding a sentence to the end of paragraph (a)(2)(v) to read as follows:
(a) In deciding whether your fee waiver request meets the requirements of § 2.45(a)(1) of this subpart, the bureau will consider the criteria listed in paragraphs (a)(1) through (4) of this section. You must address and meet each of these criteria in order to demonstrate that you are entitled to a fee waiver.
(v)* * * If you are a representative of the news media, we will presume you have this ability and intent.
34. In § 2.49, revise paragraphs (a)(1) and (c) to read as follows:
(1) The anticipated fee is less than $50 (see § 2.37(g) of this subpart).
(c) The bureau must receive information from you that resolves any fee issues, in accordance with paragraphs (b)(2) and/or (4) of this section, within 20 workdays or the bureau will close the request.
35. In § 2.50, revise paragraph (a), paragraph (b) introductory text, and paragraphs (c) and (d) to read as follows:
(a) When a bureau determines or estimates that the total fee you will be charged under this subpart will exceed $250, the bureau may require you to make an advance payment up to the amount of the entire anticipated fee before the bureau begins, or continues, to process your request. If you have a history of prompt payment of FOIA fees, a bureau may elect to process your request before collecting fees when you provide it with a satisfactory assurance of full payment.
(d) Your payment of the funds you owe the bureau for work it has already completed before records are sent to you is not an advance payment under § 2.50(a) of this subpart.
36. In § 2.51(b)(3), remove the words “hears from you” and add in their place the words “receives a written response from you”.
End Amendment Part Start Printed Page 58669
37. Amend § 2.57 by:
a. In paragraph (a)(5), adding the words “or you have been placed in the wrong fee category” after the word “calculated”; and
b. In paragraph (a)(6), adding the words “your request for” after the word “denied”.
38. In § 2.59(a), the first sentence, remove the Web site address “ http://www.doi.gov/​foia/​appeals.cfm and add in its place the Web site address “http://www.doi.gov/​foia/​appeals.
39. Revise § 2.60 to read as follows:
(a) The FOIA Appeals Officer is the deciding official for FOIA appeals that do not appeal a decision of the Office of the Inspector General.
(b) The General Counsel is the deciding official for FOIA appeals that appeal a decision of the Office of the Inspector General.
40. Revise § 2.62 to read as follows:
41. In § 2.63, paragraphs (b) and (c), remove the words “FOIA Appeals Officer” and add in their place the words “appropriate deciding official for FOIA appeals”.
42. In § 2.65, the first sentence, remove the Web site address “ http://www.doi.gov/​foia/​libraries.cfm and add in its place the Web site address “http://www.doi.gov/​foia/​libraries.
43. In § 2.66, revise paragraph (a) to read as follows:
(a) Each bureau has a FOIA Public Liaison who can assist requesters who have concerns about the service they received when seeking records or who are seeking assistance under § 2.3(d) or § 2.37(i) of this part.
44. Amend § 2.70 by:
a. In the definition of Bureau, removing the Web site address “http://www.doi.gov/​foia/​contacts.cfm and adding in its place the Web site address http://www.doi.gov/​foia/​contacts;​ and
b. In the definition of Multitrack processing, the second sentence, adding the word “ordinarily” after the word “are”.
[FR Doc. 2015-24703 Filed 9-29-15; 8:45 am]