Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/06/30/2017-13640/revisions-to-the-freedom-of-information-act-regulation
Timestamp: 2019-10-18 08:27:52
Document Index: 243230617

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 792', '§\u2009792', '§\u2009792', '§\u2009792', '§\u2009792', 'art 792', 'art 1320']

https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2017-13640 https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2017-13640
Regina Metz, Senior Staff Attorney, or Linda Dent, Associate General Counsel, Administrative Law Section, Office of General Counsel, at 1775 Duke Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314-3428, or telephone: (703) 518-6540.
On December 22, 2016, NCUA published an interim final rule [1] to revise its FOIA regulation at part 792, subpart A of the agency's regulations [2] in accordance with new requirements under the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016.[3] The interim final rule became effective on December 22, 2016. The NCUA accepted public comments, however, until January 23, 2017.
The interim final rule revised procedures for the disclosure of records, including procedures for engaging in dispute resolution through the FOIA Public Liaison and the OGIS. The revisions were necessary to comply with amendments to the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016. NCUA is issuing this rulemaking to finalize the interim rule with minor wording changes for consistency and clarification.
NCUA received two comments on the interim final rule. One was from a trade organization and one was from an institute. One comment was fully supportive of the Act, noting that the interim rule met all the technical statutory requirements. The comment, however, also urged the NCUA to exceed the requirements and continue to adopt a presumption of openness. NCUA's longstanding FOIA practices include a presumption of openness which will continue under the final rule.
In addition, the commenter believes the NCUA should post every FOIA response to its Web site. The FOIA and the interim final rule, in section 792.03(c), already provide that NCUA must post on its Web site records released in response to a FOIA request that are either: Likely to be the subject of subsequent requests because of the nature of their subject matter; or records that have been requested three or more times. NCUA generally exceeds these requirements, posting on its FOIA page records requested more than once and considering each record requested for possible routine Web site posting. As every record requested, however, is not of interest to the general public, NCUA is adopting this section in the final rule without change.
The other commenter requested that NCUA revise its definition of “representative of the news media” in § 792.20 to be consistent with the FOIA at 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(4)(A)(ii) and also to consider additional technical matters. As a change to this definition and the other issue raised were not included in the interim final rule, NCUA will address this in an upcoming technical amendment rule. The final rule does contain minor changes to wording for consistency and clarification.
In accordance with the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995,[4] the Board has reviewed the final rule and determined it does not contain or modify a collection of information subject to the PRA. The PRA applies to rulemakings in which an agency by rule creates a new paperwork burden on regulated entities or increases an existing burden. For purposes of the PRA, a paperwork burden may take the form of a reporting or recordkeeping requirement, both referred to as information collections. Information collected as part of an affidavit, oath, affirmation, certification, receipt, changes of address, consent, or acknowledgment, however, is not considered an information collection for purposes of the PRA.
This category is limited to those disclosures that require persons to provide or display only facts necessary to identify themselves. For example, they entail no burden other than that necessary to identify the respondent, the date, the respondent's address, and the nature of the instrument. “Nature of the instrument” refers to a respondent's request for materials, such as publications or other information from an agency. To facilitate such requests for information from an agency, an agency may ask requesters to describe the material or information sought in detail sufficient to describe the individual desires.
The final rule implements the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016 by amending the agency's FOIA regulations. Because the only paperwork burden in this final rule relates to activities that are not considered to be information collections, NCUA has determined that this rule is exempt from the requirements of the PRA.
The Regulatory Flexibility Act requires NCUA to prepare an analysis to describe any significant economic impact a rule may have on a substantial number of small credit unions (those under $100 million in assets). This final rule does not impose any requirements on federally insured credit unions. Therefore, it will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small credit unions and a regulatory flexibility analysis is not required. Because this final rule would affect few, if any, small entities, the Board certifies that the final rule will Start Printed Page 29712not have a significant economic impact on small entities.
NCUA has determined that this final rule would not affect family well-being within the meaning of section 654 of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act of 1999.[5]
The Small Business Regulatory Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 (SBREFA) provides generally for congressional review of agency rules. A reporting requirement is triggered in instances where the Board issues a final rule as defined by Section 551 of the APA. The Board submitted the rule to the Office of Management and Budget. It determined the rule is not a “major rule” within the meaning of the relevant sections of SBREFA.
By the National Credit Union Administration Board on June 22, 2017.
For the reasons stated above, the National Credit Union Administration adopts the interim rule published December 22, 2016, at 81 FR 93792, as final with the following changes:
(2) Such alternative time period as mutually agreed by you and the Information Office, when NCUA notifies Start Printed Page 29713you that the request cannot be processed in the specified time limit. In such cases, NCUA will make available its FOIA Public Liaison and notify you of the right to seek dispute resolution services from the Office of Government Information Services.
(a) If NCUA does not comply with the time limits under § 792.15, or as extended under § 792.16, you do not have to pay search fees; requesters qualifying for free search fees will not have to pay duplication fees. However, if NCUA has extended the time limits under § 792.16 and must review more than 5,000 pages to respond to the request, NCUA may charge you search fees (or for requesters qualifying for free search fees, duplication fees), if NCUA has discussed with you via written mail, electronic mail, or telephone (or made not less than 3 good-faith attempts to do so) how you could effectively limit the scope of the request.
1. 81 FR 93792 (Dec 22, 2016).
2. 12 CFR part 792.
3. Public Law 114-185, 130 Stat. 538.
4. 44 U.S.C. 3506; 5 CFR part 1320 Appendix A.1.
5. Public Law 105-277, 112 Stat. 2681.
[FR Doc. 2017-13640 Filed 6-29-17; 8:45 am]