Public Availability of Information, 18914-18920 [E7-7103]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 72 / Monday, April 16, 2007 / Rules and Regulations
corrections to § 411.15(o) retroactive
because failure to apply the change
retroactively to January 1, 2007 would
be contrary to the public interest
because it would fail to preserve the
public fisc. OPM v. Richmond, 496 U.S.
414 (1990). Moreover, retroactivity is
necessary to comply with statutory
requirements in section 1862(m) of the
Act which did not authorize payment
for category A devices.
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1302, 1395w–101
through 1395w–152, 1395hh, and 1395nn).
NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION
SAFETY BOARD
Subpart A—General Exclusions and
Exclusion of Particular Services
49 CFR Part 801
4. Section 411.15 is amended by
revising paragraph (o) to read as follows:
I
§ 411.15
[Amended]
Accordingly, 42 CFR chapter IV is
corrected by making the following
correcting amendments:
*
*
*
*
(o) Experimental or investigational
devices, except for certain devices.
(1) Categorized by the FDA as a nonexperimental/investigational (Category
B) device defined in § 405.201(b) of this
chapter; and
(2) Furnished in accordance with the
FDA-approved protocols governing
clinical trials.
*
*
*
*
*
PART 410—SUPPLEMENTARY
MEDICAL INSURANCE (SMI)
BENEFITS
PART 414—PAYMENT FOR PART B
MEDICAL AND OTHER HEALTH
SERVICES
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Program No. 93.774, Medicare—
Supplementary Medical Insurance Program)
Dated: April 5, 2007.
Ann C. Agnew,
Executive Secretary to the Department.
I
*
5. The authority citation for Part 414
continues to read as follows:
I
1. The authority citation for part 410
continues to read as follows:
I
Authority: Secs. 1102, 1834, and 1871 of
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1302,
1395m, and 1395hh).
Authority: Secs. 1102, 1871, and 1881(b)(l)
of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1302,
1395hh, and 1395rr(b)(l)).
Subpart B—Medical and Other Health
Services
Subpart J—Submission of
Manufacturer’s Average Sales Price
Data
I
I
I
2. Section 410.33 is amended by—
A. Revising paragraph (a)(2).
B. Revising paragraph (g)(6).
The revisions read as follows:
§ 410.33
6. Section 414.804(a)(3)(iv) is revised
to read as follows:
I
§ 414.804
[Amended]
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(a) * * *
(2) Exceptions. The following
diagnostic tests that are payable under
the physician fee schedule and
furnished by a nonhospital testing entity
are not required to be furnished in
accordance with the criteria set forth in
paragraphs (b) through (e) and (g) and
(h) of this section.
*
*
*
*
*
(g) * * *
(6) Have a comprehensive liability
insurance policy of at least $300,000 per
location that covers both the place of
business and all customers and
employees of the IDTF. The policy must
be carried by a nonrelative-owned
company.
*
*
*
*
*
PART 411—EXCLUSIONS FROM
MEDICARE AND LIMITATIONS ON
MEDICARE PAYMENT
3. The authority citation for part 411
is amended to read as follows:
I
Authority: Secs. 1102, 1860D–1 through
1860D–42, 1871, and 1877 of the Social
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[Amended]
(a) * * *
(3) * * *
(iv) Example. After adjusting for
exempted sales, the total lagged price
concessions (discounts, rebates, etc.)
over the most recent 12-month period
available associated with sales for
National Drug Code 12345–6789–01
subject to the ASP reporting
requirement equal $200,000, and the
total in dollars for the sales subject to
the average sales price reporting
requirement for the same period equals
$600,000. The lagged price concessions
percentage for this period equals
200,000/600,000 = 0.33333. The total in
dollars for the sales subject to the
average sales price reporting
requirement for the quarter being
reported, equals $50,000 for 10,000
units sold. The manufacturer’s average
sales price calculation for this National
Drug Code for this quarter is:
$50,000¥(0.33333 × $50,000) = $33,334
(net total sales amount); $33,334/10,000
= $3.33 (average sales price).
*
*
*
*
*
[FR Doc. E7–6989 Filed 4–13–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120–01–P
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Public Availability of Information
National Transportation Safety
Board (NTSB).
ACTION: Final rule.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The NTSB is updating its
regulations regarding the availability of
information. This amendment updates
the NTSB regulations that implement
the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
and Privacy Act, notifies the public of
changes in the NTSB’s Freedom of
Information Act processing procedures
and, in general, advises the public on
the availability of information from
NTSB accident investigations.
DATES: This final rule will become
effective May 23, 2007.
ADDRESSES: A copy of the notice of
proposed rulemaking (NPRM),
published in the Federal Register, is
available for inspection and copying in
the Board’s public reading room, located
at 490 L’Enfant Plaza, SW., Washington,
DC 20594–2000. Alternatively, a copy of
the NPRM is available on the Board’s
Web site, at https://www.ntsb.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gary
L. Halbert, General Counsel, (202) 314–
6080.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Regulatory History
On November 22, 2006, the NTSB
published a notice of proposed
rulemaking entitled, ‘‘Public
Availability of Information,’’ in the
Federal Register (71 FR 67523). This
NPRM set forth amendments to the
Board’s regulations regarding the
availability of information, and
provided updated information regarding
how the public may obtain NTSB
records. The NPRM also set forth an
updated fee schedule to apply to
requests for NTSB records.
Discussion of Comments and Changes
The NTSB did not receive any
comments regarding the aforementioned
NPRM. The NTSB also did not receive
any requests for a public meeting;
therefore, the NTSB did not hold a
public meeting on the NPRM.
In the interest of ensuring that all
provisions of 49 CFR part 801 are
accurate and complete, the Board’s final
rule herein will include one minor
revision to § 801.60(a) that the NTSB
did not include in the NPRM: In the
final sentence of § 801.60(a), the rule
will now advise requesters to ‘‘pay fees
in accordance with the instructions
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provided on the invoice the FOIA Office
sends to the requester.’’ The language of
§ 801.60(a) in the NPRM had directed
requesters to pay fees via check or
money order. In the interest of ensuring
that changes in banking technology,
resources, and the like do not compel
the NTSB to continually amend
provisions of part 801, the final rule will
advise requesters to refer to the payment
instructions on each invoice that they
receive.
Indian Tribal Governments; Executive
Order 13211, Actions Concerning
Regulations That Significantly Affect
Energy Supply, Distribution, or Use; and
the National Technology Transfer and
Advancement Act, 15 U.S.C. 272 note.
The NTSB has concluded that this rule
does not contravene any of the
requirements set forth in these
Executive Orders or statutes, nor does
this rule prompt further consideration
with regard to such requirements.
Statutory and Regulatory Evaluation
This rule provides current, accurate
information to the public regarding how
the public may obtain NTSB records
and information. This rule will serve to
inform and assist the public with regard
to obtaining NTSB records and
information.
This rule is not a ‘‘significant
regulatory action’’ under section 3(f) of
Executive Order 12866, Regulatory
Planning and Review, and does not
require an assessment of the potential
costs and benefits under section 6(a)(3)
of that Order. The Office of Management
and Budget has not reviewed this rule
under Executive Order 12866. Likewise,
this rule does not require an analysis
under the Unfunded Mandates Reform
Act, 2 U.S.C. 1501–1571, or the National
Environmental Policy Act, 42 U.S.C.
4321–4347.
In addition, the NTSB has considered
whether this rule would have a
significant economic impact on a
substantial number of small entities,
under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5
U.S.C. 601–612). The NTSB certifies
under 5 U.S.C. 605(b) that this rule
would not have a significant economic
impact on a substantial number of small
entities.
This rule requests no new collection
of information under the Paperwork
Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501–
3520). Furthermore, the NTSB does not
anticipate that this rule will have a
substantial, direct effect on State or
local governments; as such, this rule
does not have implications for
federalism under Executive Order
13132, Federalism. This rule meets
applicable standards in sections 3(a)
and 3(b)(2) of Executive Order 12988,
Civil Justice Reform, to minimize
litigation, eliminate ambiguity, and
reduce burden.
In addition, the NTSB has evaluated
this rule under: Executive Order 12630,
Governmental Actions and Interference
with Constitutionally Protected Property
Rights; Executive Order 13045,
Protection of Children from
Environmental Health Risks and Safety
Risks; Executive Order 13175,
Consultation and Coordination with
List of Subjects in 49 CFR Part 801
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Archives and records, Freedom of
information, Privacy.
I For the reasons discussed in the
preamble, the NTSB revises 49 CFR part
801 to read as follows:
PART 801—PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF
INFORMATION
Subpart A—Applicability and Policy
Sec.
801.1 Applicability.
801.2 Policy.
801.3 Definitions.
Subpart B—Administration
801.10 General.
801.11 Segregability of records.
801.12 Protection of records.
Subpart C—Time Limits
801.20 Processing of records.
801.21 Initial determination.
801.22 Final determination.
801.23 Extension.
Subpart E—Other Board Documents
801.40 The Board’s rules.
801.41 Reports to Congress.
Subpart F—Exemption from Public
Disclosure
801.50 Exemptions from disclosure.
801.51 National defense and foreign policy
secrets.
801.52 Internal personnel rules and
practices of the NTSB.
801.53 Records exempt by statute from
disclosure.
801.54 Trade secrets and commercial or
financial information.
801.55 Interagency and intra-agency
exchanges.
801.56 Unwarranted invasion of personal
privacy.
801.57 Records compiled for law
enforcement purposes.
801.58 Records for regulation of financial
institutions.
801.59 Geological records.
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Appeals of fee determinations.
Authority: Independent Safety Board Act
of 1974, as amended (49 U.S.C. 1101–1155);
5 U.S.C. 551(2); Freedom of Information Act
(5 U.S.C. 552); 18 U.S.C. 641 and 2071; 31
U.S.C. 3717 and 9701; Federal Records Act,
44 U.S.C. Chapters 21, 29, 31, and 33.
Subpart A—Applicability and Policy
§ 801.1
Applicability.
(a) This part contains the rules that
the National Transportation Safety
Board (NTSB) follows in processing
requests for records under the Freedom
of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552.
These rules should be read together
with the FOIA, which provides
additional information about public
access to records maintained by the
NTSB.
(b) This part also provides for
document services and the fees for such
services, pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 9701.
(c) This part applies only to records
existing when the request for the
information is made. The NTSB is not
required to create records for the sole
purpose of responding to a FOIA
request.
(d) Sections 801.51 through 801.59 of
this chapter describe records that are
exempt from public disclosure.
§ 801.2
Subpart D—Accident Investigation Records
801.30 Records from accident
investigations.
801.31 Public hearings regarding
investigations.
801.32 Accident reports.
Subpart G—Fee Schedule
801.60 Fee schedule.
801.61
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Policy.
(a) In implementing 5 U.S.C. 552, it is
the policy of the NTSB to make
information available to the public to
the greatest extent possible, consistent
with the mission of the NTSB.
Information the NTSB routinely
provides to the public as part of a
regular NTSB activity (such as press
releases and information disclosed on
the NTSB’s public Web site) may be
provided to the public without
compliance with this part. In addition,
as a matter of policy, the NTSB may
make discretionary disclosures of
records or information otherwise
exempt from disclosure under the FOIA
whenever disclosure would not
foreseeably harm an interest protected
by a FOIA exemption; however, this
policy does not create any right
enforceable in court.
(b) Given the NTSB’s stated policy of
providing as much information as
possible regarding general NTSB
operations and releasing documents
involving investigations, the NTSB
strongly encourages requesters seeking
information to check the NTSB’s Web
site for such information before
submitting a FOIA request. For every
investigation in which the NTSB has
determined the probable cause of an
accident, the NTSB’s docket
management system will include a
‘‘public docket’’ containing
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documentation that the investigator-incharge deemed pertinent to the
investigation. Requesters may obtain
these public dockets without submitting
a FOIA request. The NTSB encourages
all requesters to review the public
docket materials before submitting a
FOIA request.
§ 801.3
Definitions.
The following definitions shall apply
in this part:
(a) ‘‘Record’’ includes any writing,
drawing, map, recording, tape, film,
photo, or other documentary material by
which information is preserved. In this
part, ‘‘document’’ and ‘‘record’’ shall
have the same meaning.
(b) ‘‘Redact’’ refers to the act of
making a portion of text illegible by
placing a black mark on top of the text.
(c) ‘‘Public Docket’’ includes a
collection of records from an accident
investigation that the investigator who
oversaw the investigation of that
accident has deemed pertinent to
determining the probable cause of the
accident.
(d) ‘‘Non-docket’’ items include other
records from an accident that the
investigator who oversaw the
investigation of that accident has
deemed irrelevant or not directly
pertinent to determining the probable
cause of the accident.
(e) ‘‘Chairman’’ means the Chairman
of the NTSB.
(f) ‘‘Managing Director’’ means the
Managing Director of the NTSB.
(g) ‘‘Requester’’ means any person, as
defined in 5 U.S.C. 551(2), who submits
a request pursuant to the FOIA.
Subpart B—Administration
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§ 801.10
General.
(a) The NTSB’s Chief, Records
Management Division, is responsible for
the custody and control of all NTSB
records required to be preserved under
the Federal Records Act, 44 U.S.C.
Chapters 21, 29, 31, and 33.
(b) The NTSB’s FOIA Officer shall be
responsible for the initial determination
of whether to release records within the
20-working-day time limit, or the
extension specified in the Freedom of
Information Act.
(c) The NTSB’s Chief, Records
Management Division, shall:
(1) Maintain for public access and
commercial reproduction all accident
files containing aviation and surface
investigators’ reports, factual accident
reports or group chairman reports,
documentation and accident
correspondence files, transcripts of
public hearings, if any, and exhibits;
and
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(2) Maintain a public reference room,
also known as a ‘‘Reading Room,’’ in
accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(2). The
NTSB’s public reference room is located
at 490 East L’Enfant Plaza, SW.,
Washington, DC. Other records may be
available in the NTSB’s Electronic
Reading Room, which is located on the
NTSB’s Web site, found at https://
www.ntsb.gov.
(d) Requests for documents must be
made in writing to: National
Transportation Safety Board, Attention:
FOIA Officer CIO–40, 490 L’Enfant
Plaza, SW., Washington, DC 20594–
2000. All requests:
(1) Must reasonably identify the
record requested. For requests regarding
an investigation of a particular accident,
requesters should include the date and
location of the accident, as well as the
NTSB investigation number. In response
to broad requests for records regarding
a particular investigation, the FOIA
Office will notify the requester of the
existence of a public docket, and state
that other non-docket items may be
available, or may become available, at a
later date. After receiving this letter and
reviewing the items in the public
docket, requesters should notify the
FOIA office if the items contained in the
public docket suffice to fulfill their
request.
(2) Must be accompanied by the fee or
agreement (if any) to pay the
reproduction costs shown in the fee
schedule at § 801.60 of this title, and
(3) Must contain the name, address,
and telephone number of the person
making the request. Requesters must
update their address and telephone
number in writing should this
information change.
(e) The envelope in which the
requester submits the request should be
marked prominently with the letters
‘‘FOIA.’’ If a request fails to include a
citation to the FOIA, the NTSB FOIA
Office will attempt to contact the
requester immediately to rectify the
omission and/or clarify the request.
However, the 20-working-day time limit
for processing shall not commence until
the FOIA Office receives a complete
request.
(f) The field offices of the NTSB shall
not maintain, for public access, records
maintained by the Chief, Records
Management Division. Requests mailed
to NTSB field offices will not satisfy the
NTSB’s requirements for submitting a
FOIA request.
(g) The NTSB may work with a
commercial reproduction firm to
accommodate requests for reproduction
of accident records from the public
docket. The reproduction charges may
be subject to change. The NTSB will
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update its FOIA Web site to reflect any
such changes. Section 801.60 of this
title contains a current fee schedule.
(h) The NTSB will not release records
originally generated by other agencies or
entities. Instead, the NTSB will refer
such requests for other agencies’ records
to the appropriate agency, which will
make a release determination upon
receiving and processing the referred
request.
(i) Where a requester seeks a record
on behalf of another person, and the
record contains that person’s personal
information protected by Exemption 6
of the FOIA (see section 801.56 of this
title), the NTSB requires the requester to
submit a notarized statement of consent
from the person whose personal
information is contained in the record,
before the NTSB releases the record.
(j) In general, the NTSB will deny
requests for records concerning a
pending investigation, pursuant to
appropriate exemptions under the
FOIA. The FOIA Office will notify the
requester of this denial, and will
provide the requester with information
regarding how the requester may receive
information on the investigation once
the investigation is complete. The NTSB
discourages requesters from submitting
multiple FOIA requests in a continuing
effort to obtain records before an
investigation is complete.
§ 801.11
Segregability of records.
The initial decision of the FOIA
Officer will include a determination of
segregability. If it is reasonable to do so,
the exempt portions of a record will be
segregated and, where necessary,
redacted, and the nonexempt portions
will be sent to the requester.
§ 801.12
Protection of records.
(a) No person may, without
permission, remove from the place
where it is made available any record
made available for inspection or
copying under § 801.10(c)(2) of this part.
Stealing, altering, mutilating,
obliterating, or destroying, in whole or
in part, such a record shall be deemed
a criminal offense.
(b) Section 641 of title 18 of the
United States Code provides, in
pertinent part, as follows: ‘‘Whoever
* * * steals, purloins, or knowingly
converts to his use or the use of another,
or without authority, sells, conveys or
disposes of any record * * * or thing of
value of the United States or of any
department or agency thereof * * *
shall be fined under this title or
imprisoned not more than ten years, or
both; but if the value of such property
in the aggregate, combining amounts
from all the counts for which the
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defendant is convicted in a single case,
does not exceed the sum of $1,000, he
shall be fined under this title or
imprisoned not more than one year, or
both.’’
(c) Section 2071(a) of title 18 of the
United States Code provides, in
pertinent part, as follows:
Whoever willfully and unlawfully
conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, or
destroys, or attempts to do so, or, with intent
to do so takes and carries away any record,
proceeding, map, book, paper, document, or
other thing, filed or deposited * * * in any
public office, or with any * * * public
officer of the United States, shall be fined
under this title or imprisoned not more than
three years, or both.
Subpart C—Time Limits
§ 801.20
Processing of requests.
(a) The NTSB processes FOIA
requests upon receipt. The NTSB FOIA
Office may notify the requester that the
NTSB has received the request. The
FOIA Office will then place each
request on one of three tracks:
(1) Track 1: Requests for which there
are no records, requests that meet the
criteria for expedited processing, or
requests that seek records that have
been produced in response to a prior
request.
(2) Track 2: Requests that do not
involve voluminous records or lengthy
consultations with other entities.
(3) Track 3: Requests that involve
voluminous records and for which
lengthy or numerous consultations are
required, or those requests which may
involve sensitive records.
(b) Regarding expedited processing, if
a requester states that he or she has a
compelling need for the expedited
treatment of their request, then the
NTSB FOIA Office will determine
whether to expedite the request and,
where appropriate, do so.
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§ 801.21
Initial determination.
The NTSB FOIA Officer will make an
initial determination as to whether to
release a record within 20 working days
(excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and
legal public holidays) after the request
is received. This time limit may be
extended up to 10 additional working
days in accordance with § 801.23 of this
part. The person making the request will
be notified immediately in writing of
such determination. If a determination
is made to release the requested
record(s), such record(s) will be made
available promptly. If the FOIA Officer
determines not to release the record(s),
the person making the request will,
when he or she is notified of such
determination, be advised of:
(a) The reason for the determination,
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(b) the right to appeal the
determination, and
(c) the name and title or positions of
each person responsible for the denial of
the request.
§ 801.22
Final determination.
Requesters seeking an appeal of the
FOIA Officer’s initial determination
must send a written appeal to the
NTSB’s Managing Director within 20
days. The NTSB’s Managing Director
will determine whether to grant or deny
any appeal made pursuant to § 801.21
within 20 working days (excluding
Saturdays, Sundays, and legal public
holidays) after receipt of such appeal,
except that this time limit may be
extended for as many as 10 additional
working days, in accordance with
§ 801.23.
§ 801.23
Extension.
In unusual circumstances as specified
in this section, the time limits
prescribed in either § 801.21 or § 801.22,
may be extended by written notice to
the person making a request and setting
forth the reasons for such extension and
the date on which a determination is
expected to be dispatched. Such notice
will not specify a date that would result
in an extension for more than 10
working days. As used in this
paragraph, ‘‘unusual circumstances,’’ as
they relate to any delay that is
reasonably necessary to the proper
processing of the particular request,
means—
(a) The need to search for and collect
the requested records from field
facilities or other establishments;
(b) The need to search for, collect, and
appropriately examine and process a
voluminous amount of records which
are the subject of a single request; or
(c) The need to consult with another
agency that has a substantial interest in
the disposition of the request or with
two or more components of the agency
having substantial subject-matter
interest therein.
Subpart D—Accident Investigation
Records
§ 801.30 Records from accident
investigations.
Upon completion of an accident
investigation, each NTSB investigator
(or ‘‘group chairman,’’ depending on the
investigation) shall complete a factual
report with supporting documentation
and include these items in the public
docket for the investigation. The Chief,
Records Management Division, will
then make the records available to the
public for inspection or production by
an order for commercial copying.
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§ 801.31 Public hearings regarding
investigations.
Within approximately four (4) weeks
after a public hearing concerning an
investigation, the Chief, Records
Management Division, will make
available to the public the hearing
transcript. On or before the date of the
hearing, the Chief, Records Management
Division, will make the exhibits
introduced at the hearing available to
the public for inspection or commercial
copy order.
§ 801.32
Accident reports.
(a) The NTSB will report the facts,
conditions, and circumstances, and its
determination of the probable causes of
U.S. civil transportation accidents, in
accordance with 49 U.S.C. 1131(e).
(b) These reports may be made
available for public inspection in the
NTSB’s public reference room and/or on
the NTSB’s Web site, at https://
www.ntsb.gov.
Subpart E—Other Board Documents
§ 801.40
The Board’s rules.
The NTSB’s rules are published in the
Code of Federal Regulations as Parts 800
through 850 of Title 49.
§ 801.41
Reports to Congress.
The NTSB submits its annual report
to Congress each year, in accordance
with 49 U.S.C. 1117. The report will be
available on the NTSB’s Web site, found
at https://www.ntsb.gov. Interested
parties may purchase the report from
the Government Printing Office or
review it in the NTSB’s public reference
room. All other reports or comments to
Congress will be available in the NTSB’s
public reference room for inspection or
by ordering a copy after issuance.
Subpart F—Exemption From Public
Disclosure
§ 801.50
Exemptions from disclosure.
Title 5, United States Code section
552(a) and (b) exempt certain records
from public disclosure. As stated in
§ 801.2 of this title, the NTSB may
choose to make a discretionary release
of a record that is authorized to be
withheld under 5 U.S.C. 552(b), unless
it determines that the release of that
record would be inconsistent with the
purpose of the exemption concerned.
Examples of records given in §§ 801.51
through 801.58 included within a
particular statutory exemption are not
necessarily illustrative of all types of
records covered by the applicable
exemption.
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§ 801.51 National defense and foreign
policy secrets.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(1),
national defense and foreign policy
secrets established by Executive Order,
as well as properly classified
documents, are exempt from public
disclosure. Requests to the NTSB for
such records will be transferred to the
source agency as appropriate, where
such classified records are identified.
(See, e.g., Executive Order 12,958, as
amended on March 25, 2003.)
§ 801.52 Internal personnel rules and
practices of the NTSB.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(2), the
following records are exempt from
disclosure under FOIA:
(a) Records relating solely to internal
personnel rules and practices, including
memoranda pertaining to personnel
matters such as staffing policies, and
procedures for the hiring, training,
promotion, demotion, or discharge of
employees, and management plans,
records, or proposals relating to labormanagement relations.
(b) Records regarding:
(1) Internal matters of a relatively
trivial nature that have no significant
public interest, and
(2) Predominantly internal matters,
the release of which would risk
circumvention of a statute or agency
regulation.
§ 801.53 Records exempt by statute from
disclosure.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(3), the
NTSB will not disclose records
specifically exempted from disclosure
by statute (other than 5 U.S.C. 552(b)),
provided that such statute:
(a) Requires that the matters be
withheld from the public in such
manner as to leave no discretion on the
issue, or
(b) Establishes particular criteria for
withholding or refers to particular types
of matters to be withheld.
§ 801.54 Trade secrets and commercial or
financial information.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4), trade
secrets and items containing
commercial or financial information
that are obtained from a person and are
privileged or confidential are exempt
from public disclosure.
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§ 801.55 Interagency and intra-agency
exchanges.
(a) Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(5), any
record prepared by an NTSB employee
for internal Government use is exempt
from public disclosure to the extent that
it contains—
(1) Opinions made in the course of
developing official action by the NTSB
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but not actually made a part of that
official action, or
(2) Information concerning any
pending NTSB proceeding, or similar
matter, including any claim or other
dispute to be resolved before a court of
law, administrative board, hearing
officer, or contracting officer.
(b) The purpose of this section is to
protect the full and frank exchange of
ideas, views, and opinions necessary for
the effective functioning of the NTSB.
These resources must be fully and
readily available to those officials upon
whom the responsibility rests to take
official NTSB action. Its purpose is also
to protect against the premature
disclosure of material that is in the
developmental stage, if premature
disclosure would be detrimental to the
authorized and appropriate purposes for
which the material is being used, or if,
because of its tentative nature, the
material is likely to be revised or
modified before it is officially presented
to the public.
(c) Examples of materials covered by
this section include, but are not limited
to, staff papers containing advice,
opinions, or suggestions preliminary to
a decision or action; preliminary notes;
advance information on such things as
proposed plans to procure, lease, or
otherwise hire and dispose of materials,
real estate, or facilities; documents
exchanged in preparation for
anticipated legal proceedings; material
intended for public release at a specified
future time, if premature disclosure
would be detrimental to orderly
processes of the NTSB; records of
inspections, investigations, and surveys
pertaining to internal management of
the NTSB; and matters that would not
be routinely disclosed in litigation but
which are likely to be the subject of
litigation.
§ 801.56 Unwarranted invasion of personal
privacy.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(6), any
personal, medical, or similar file is
exempt from public disclosure if its
disclosure would harm the individual
concerned or would be a clearly
unwarranted invasion of the person’s
personal privacy.
§ 801.57 Records compiled for law
enforcement purposes.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(7), any
records compiled for law or regulatory
enforcement are exempt from public
disclosure to the extent that disclosure
would interfere with enforcement,
would be an unwarranted invasion of
privacy, would disclose the identity of
a confidential source, would disclose
investigative procedures and practices,
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or would endanger the life or security of
law enforcement personnel.
§ 801.58 Records for regulation of
financial institutions.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(8), records
compiled for agencies regulating or
supervising financial institutions are
exempt from public disclosure.
§ 801.59
Geological records.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(9), records
concerning geological wells are exempt
from public disclosure.
Subpart G—Fee Schedule
§ 801.60
Fee schedule.
(a) Authority. Pursuant to 5 U.S.C.
552(a)(4)(i) and 52 FR 10,012 (Mar. 27,
1987), the NTSB may charge certain fees
for processing requests under the FOIA
in accordance with paragraph (c) of this
section, except where fees are limited
under paragraph (d) of this section, or
where a waiver or reduction of fees is
granted under paragraph (e) of this
section. The NTSB may collect all
applicable fees before sending copies of
requested records to a requester. A
requester must pay fees in accordance
with the instructions provided on the
invoice the FOIA Office sends to the
requester.
(b) Definitions. For purposes of this
section:
(1) Commercial use request means a
request from or on behalf of a person
who seeks information for a use or
purpose that furthers his or her
commercial, trade, or profit interests.
This includes the furtherance of
commercial interests through litigation.
When it appears that the requester will
use the requested records for a
commercial purpose, either because of
the nature of the request or because the
NTSB has reasonable cause to doubt a
requester’s stated use, the NTSB shall
provide the requester with a reasonable
opportunity to submit further
clarification.
(2) Direct costs means those expenses
that an agency actually incurs in
searching for, reviewing, and
duplicating records in response to a
FOIA request. This includes the salaries
of employees performing the work, as
listed below, but does not include
overhead expenses such as the costs of
office space.
(3) Duplication means the copying of
a record, or of the information contained
in a record, in response to a FOIA
request.
(4) Educational institution means a
preschool, a public or private
elementary or secondary school, an
institution of undergraduate higher
education, an institution of graduate
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higher education, an institution of
professional education, or an institution
of vocational education, that operates a
program of scholarly research. In order
for a requester to demonstrate that their
request falls within the category of an
‘‘educational institution,’’ the requester
must show that the request is authorized
by the qualifying institution and that the
requester does not seek the records for
commercial use, but only to further
scholarly research.
(5) Representative of the news media
or ‘‘news media requester’’ means any
person actively gathering news for an
entity that is organized and operated to
publish or broadcast news to the public.
For ‘‘freelance’’ journalists to be
regarded as working for a news
organization, they must demonstrate a
solid basis for expecting publication
through that organization (for example,
a journalist may submit a copy of a
publication contract for which the
journalist needs NTSB records).
(6) Review means the examination of
a record located in response to a request
in order to determine whether any
portion of it is exempt from disclosure.
‘‘Review’’ also includes processing the
record(s) for disclosure, which includes
redacting and otherwise preparing
releasable records for disclosure. The
NTSB may require review costs even if
the NTSB ultimately does not release
the record(s).
(7) Search means the process of
looking for and retrieving records or
information within the scope of a
request. ‘‘Search’’ includes page-by-page
or line-by-line identification of
information within records and also
includes reasonable efforts to locate and
retrieve information from records
maintained in electronic form or format.
The NTSB will make an effort to
conduct such searches in the least
expensive manner.
(c) Fees. In responding to FOIA
requests, the NTSB will charge the
following fees unless a waiver or
reduction of fees has been granted under
paragraph (d) of this section:
(1) Search.
(i) The NTSB will charge search fees
for all requests, unless an educational
institution, a noncommercial scientific
institution, or a news media
representative submits a request
containing adequate justification for
obtaining a fee waiver. These fees,
however, are subject to the limitations
of paragraph (d) of this section. The
NTSB may charge for time spent
searching even if the NTSB does not
locate any responsive record or if the
NTSB withholds the record(s) located
because such record(s) are exempt from
disclosure.
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(ii) The NTSB will charge $4.00 for
each quarter of an hour spent by clerical
personnel in searching for and
retrieving a requested record. Where
clerical personnel cannot entirely
perform a search and retrieval (for
example, where the identification of
records within the scope of a request
requires the assistance of professional
personnel), the applicable fee will
instead be $7.00 for each quarter hour
of search time spent by professional
personnel. Where a request requires the
time of managerial personnel, the fee
will be $10.25 for each quarter hour of
time spent by these personnel.
(2) Duplication. The NTSB will charge
duplication fees, subject to the
limitations of paragraph (d) of this
section.
(i) The NTSB utilizes the services of
a commercial reproduction facility for
requests for duplicates of NTSB public
dockets and publications.
(ii) Regarding the reproduction of
non-public records in response to a
FOIA request, the NTSB will charge
$0.10 per page for the duplication of a
standard-size paper record. For other
forms of duplication, the NTSB will
charge the direct costs of the
duplication.
(iii) Where the NTSB certifies records
upon request, the NTSB will charge the
direct cost of certification.
(3) Review. The NTSB will charge fees
for the initial review of a record to
determine whether the record falls
within the scope of a request, or
whether the record is exempt from
disclosure. Such fees will be charged to
requesters who make a request for
commercial purposes. The NTSB will
not charge for subsequent review of the
request and responsive record; for
example, in general, the NTSB will not
charge additional fees for review at the
administrative appeal level when the
NTSB has already applied an
exemption. The NTSB will charge
review fees at the same rate as those
charged for a search under paragraph
(c)(1)(ii), above.
(c) Limitations on charging fees. For
purposes of this section:
(1) The NTSB will not charge a fee for
notices, decisions, orders, etc. provided
to persons acting as parties in the
investigation, or where required by law
to be served on a party to any
proceeding or matter before the NTSB.
Likewise, the NTSB will not charge fees
for requests made by family members of
accident victims, when the NTSB has
investigated the accident that is the
subject of the FOIA request.
(2) The NTSB will not charge a search
fee for requests from educational
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Fmt 4700
Sfmt 4700
18919
institutions or representatives of the
news media.
(3) The NTSB will not charge a search
fee or review fee for a quarter-hour
period unless more than half of that
period is required for search or review.
(4) Except for requesters seeking
records for commercial use, the NTSB
will provide the following items without
charge:
(i) The first 100 pages of duplication
(or the cost equivalent) of a record; and
(ii) The first two hours of search (or
the cost equivalent) for a record.
(5) Whenever the total fee calculated
under paragraph (c) of this section is
$14.00 or less for any request, the NTSB
will not charge a fee.
(6) When the NTSB’s FOIA Office
determines or estimates that fees to be
charged under this section will amount
to more than $25.00, the Office will
notify the requester of the actual or
estimated amount of the fees, unless the
requester has indicated a willingness to
pay fees as high as those anticipated. If
the FOIA Office is able to estimate only
a portion of the expected fee, the FOIA
Office will advise the requester that the
estimated fee may be only a portion of
the total fee. Where the FOIA Office
notifies a requester that the actual or
estimated fees will exceed $25.00, the
NTSB will not expend additional
agency resources on the request until
the requester agrees in writing to pay
the anticipated total fee. In
circumstances involving a total fee that
will exceed $250.00, the NTSB may
require the requester to make an
advance payment or deposit of a
specific amount before beginning to
process the request.
(7) The NTSB may charge interest on
any unpaid bill starting on the 31st day
following the date of billing the
requester. Interest charges will be
assessed at the rate provided at 31
U.S.C. 3717 and will accrue from the
date of the billing until the NTSB
receives payment. The NTSB shall
follow the provisions of the Debt
Collection Act of 1982 (Pub. L. 97–365,
96 Stat. 1749), as amended, and its
administrative procedures, including
the use of consumer reporting agencies,
collection agencies, and offset.
(8) Where a requester has previously
failed to pay a properly charged FOIA
fee to the NTSB within 30 days of the
date of billing, the NTSB may require
the requester to pay the full amount
due, plus any applicable interest, and to
make an advance payment of the full
amount of any anticipated fee, before
the NTSB begins to process a new
request or continues to process a
pending request from that requester.
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(9) Where the NTSB reasonably
believes that a requester or group of
requesters acting together is attempting
to divide a request into multiple series
of requests for the purpose of avoiding
fees, the NTSB may aggregate those
requests and charge accordingly.
(d) Requirements for waiver or
reduction of fees. For fee purposes, the
NTSB will determine, whenever
reasonably possible, the use to which a
requester will put the requested records.
(1) The NTSB will furnish records
responsive to a request without charge,
or at a reduced charge, where the NTSB
determines, based on all available
information, that the requester has
shown that:
(i) Disclosure of the requested
information is in the public interest
because it is likely to contribute
significantly to public understanding of
the operations of activities of the
government, and
(ii) Disclosure of the requested
information is not primarily in the
commercial interest or for the
commercial use of the requester.
(2) In determining whether disclosure
of the requested information is in the
public interest, the NTSB will consider
the following factors:
(i) Whether the subject of the
requested records concerns identifiable
operations or activities of the federal
government, with a connection that is
direct and clear, and not remote or
attenuated. In this regard, the NTSB will
consider whether a requester’s use of
the documents would enhance
transportation safety or contribute to the
NTSB’s programs.
(ii) Whether the portions of a record
subject to disclosure are meaningfully
informative about government
operations or activities. The disclosure
of information already in the public
domain, in either a duplicative or
substantially identical form, would not
be as likely to contribute to such
understanding where nothing new
would be added to the public’s
understanding.
(iii) Whether disclosure of the
requested information would contribute
to the understanding of a reasonably
broad audience of persons interested in
the subject, as opposed to the individual
understanding of the requester. The
NTSB will consider a requester’s
expertise in the subject area and ability
to effectively convey information to the
public.
(iv) Whether the disclosure is likely to
enhance the public’s understanding of
government operations or activities.
(3) In determining whether the
requester is primarily in the commercial
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interest of the requester, the NTSB will
consider the following factors:
(i) The existence and magnitude of
any commercial interest the requester
may have, or of any person on whose
behalf the requester may be acting. The
NTSB will provide requesters with an
opportunity in the administrative
process to submit explanatory
information regarding this
consideration.
(ii) Whether the commercial interest
is greater in magnitude than any public
interest in disclosure.
(4) Additionally, the NTSB may, at its
discretion, waive publication,
reproduction, and search fees for
qualifying foreign countries,
international organizations, nonprofit
public safety entities, State and Federal
transportation agencies, and colleges
and universities, after approval by the
Chief, Records Management Division.
(5) Where only some of the records to
be released satisfy the requirements for
a waiver of fees, the NTSB will grant a
waiver for those particular records.
(6) Requests for the waiver or
reduction of fees should address the
factors listed in paragraphs (e)(2) and
(e)(3) of this section, insofar as they
apply to each request. The NTSB will
exercise its discretion to consider the
cost-effectiveness of its use of
administrative resources in determining
whether to grant waivers or reductions
of fees.
(e) Services available free of charge.
(1) The following documents are
available without commercial
reproduction cost until limited supplies
are exhausted:
(i) Press releases;
(ii) Safety Board regulations (Chapter
VIII of Title 49, Code of Federal
Regulations);
(iii) Indexes to initial decisions, Board
orders, opinion and orders, and staff
manuals and instructions;
(iv) Safety recommendations; and
(v) NTSB Annual Reports.
(2) The NTSB public Web site, located
at https://www.ntsb.gov, also includes an
e-mail subscription service for press
releases, safety recommendations, and
other announcements.
§ 801.61
Appeals of fee determinations.
Requesters seeking an appeal of the
FOIA Officer’s fee or fee waiver
determination must send a written
appeal to the NTSB’s Managing Director
within 20 days. The NTSB’s Managing
Director will determine whether to grant
or deny any appeal made pursuant to
§ 801.21 within 20 working days
(excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and
legal public holidays) after receipt of
such appeal, except that this time limit
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may be extended for as many as 10
additional working days, in accordance
with § 801.23.
Dated: April 10, 2007.
Vicky D’Onofrio,
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. E7–7103 Filed 4–13–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7533–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration
50 CFR Part 679
[Docket No. 070213033–7033–01; I.D.
040907D]
Fisheries of the Economic Exclusive
Zone Off Alaska; Pacific Cod in the
Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands
National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
Commerce.
ACTION: Temporary rule; modification of
a closure.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: NMFS is opening directed
fishing for Pacific cod by catcher vessels
less than 60 feet (18.3 meters (m)) length
overall (LOA) using pot or hook-andline gear in the Bering Sea and Aleutian
Islands management area (BSAI). This
action is necessary to fully use the 2007
total allowable catch (TAC) of Pacific
cod specified for catcher vessels less
than 60 feet (18.3 m) LOA using pot or
hook-and-line gear in the BSAI.
DATES: Effective 1200 hrs, Alaska local
time (A.l.t.), April 30, 2007, through
2400 hrs, A.l.t., December 31, 2007.
Comments must be received at the
following address no later than 4:30
p.m., A.l.t., April 30, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Send comments to Sue
Salveson, Assistant Regional
Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries
Division, Alaska Region, NMFS, Attn:
Ellen Sebastian. Comments may be
submitted by:
• Mail to: P.O. Box 21668, Juneau, AK
99802;
• Hand delivery to the Federal
Building, 709 West 9th Street, Room
420A, Juneau, Alaska;
• FAX to 907–586–7557;
• E-mail to inseason-akr@noaa.gov
and include in the subject line and body
of the e-mail the document identifier:
bspclt60re.fo.wpd (E-mail comments,
with or without attachments, are limited
to 5 megabytes); or
• Webform at the Federal eRulemaking
Portal: https://www.regulations.gov.
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 72 (Monday, April 16, 2007)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 18914-18920]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-7103]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD
49 CFR Part 801
Public Availability of Information
AGENCY: National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
ACTION: Final rule.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The NTSB is updating its regulations regarding the
availability of information. This amendment updates the NTSB
regulations that implement the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and
Privacy Act, notifies the public of changes in the NTSB's Freedom of
Information Act processing procedures and, in general, advises the
public on the availability of information from NTSB accident
investigations.
DATES: This final rule will become effective May 23, 2007.
ADDRESSES: A copy of the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM),
published in the Federal Register, is available for inspection and
copying in the Board's public reading room, located at 490 L'Enfant
Plaza, SW., Washington, DC 20594-2000. Alternatively, a copy of the
NPRM is available on the Board's Web site, at https://www.ntsb.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gary L. Halbert, General Counsel,
(202) 314-6080.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Regulatory History
On November 22, 2006, the NTSB published a notice of proposed
rulemaking entitled, ``Public Availability of Information,'' in the
Federal Register (71 FR 67523). This NPRM set forth amendments to the
Board's regulations regarding the availability of information, and
provided updated information regarding how the public may obtain NTSB
records. The NPRM also set forth an updated fee schedule to apply to
requests for NTSB records.
Discussion of Comments and Changes
The NTSB did not receive any comments regarding the aforementioned
NPRM. The NTSB also did not receive any requests for a public meeting;
therefore, the NTSB did not hold a public meeting on the NPRM.
In the interest of ensuring that all provisions of 49 CFR part 801
are accurate and complete, the Board's final rule herein will include
one minor revision to Sec. 801.60(a) that the NTSB did not include in
the NPRM: In the final sentence of Sec. 801.60(a), the rule will now
advise requesters to ``pay fees in accordance with the instructions
[[Page 18915]]
provided on the invoice the FOIA Office sends to the requester.'' The
language of Sec. 801.60(a) in the NPRM had directed requesters to pay
fees via check or money order. In the interest of ensuring that changes
in banking technology, resources, and the like do not compel the NTSB
to continually amend provisions of part 801, the final rule will advise
requesters to refer to the payment instructions on each invoice that
they receive.
Statutory and Regulatory Evaluation
This rule provides current, accurate information to the public
regarding how the public may obtain NTSB records and information. This
rule will serve to inform and assist the public with regard to
obtaining NTSB records and information.
This rule is not a ``significant regulatory action'' under section
3(f) of Executive Order 12866, Regulatory Planning and Review, and does
not require an assessment of the potential costs and benefits under
section 6(a)(3) of that Order. The Office of Management and Budget has
not reviewed this rule under Executive Order 12866. Likewise, this rule
does not require an analysis under the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act, 2
U.S.C. 1501-1571, or the National Environmental Policy Act, 42 U.S.C.
4321-4347.
In addition, the NTSB has considered whether this rule would have a
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities,
under the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601-612). The NTSB
certifies under 5 U.S.C. 605(b) that this rule would not have a
significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities.
This rule requests no new collection of information under the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520). Furthermore, the
NTSB does not anticipate that this rule will have a substantial, direct
effect on State or local governments; as such, this rule does not have
implications for federalism under Executive Order 13132, Federalism.
This rule meets applicable standards in sections 3(a) and 3(b)(2) of
Executive Order 12988, Civil Justice Reform, to minimize litigation,
eliminate ambiguity, and reduce burden.
In addition, the NTSB has evaluated this rule under: Executive
Order 12630, Governmental Actions and Interference with
Constitutionally Protected Property Rights; Executive Order 13045,
Protection of Children from Environmental Health Risks and Safety
Risks; Executive Order 13175, Consultation and Coordination with Indian
Tribal Governments; Executive Order 13211, Actions Concerning
Regulations That Significantly Affect Energy Supply, Distribution, or
Use; and the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act, 15
U.S.C. 272 note. The NTSB has concluded that this rule does not
contravene any of the requirements set forth in these Executive Orders
or statutes, nor does this rule prompt further consideration with
regard to such requirements.
List of Subjects in 49 CFR Part 801
Archives and records, Freedom of information, Privacy.
0
For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the NTSB revises 49 CFR part
801 to read as follows:
PART 801--PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION
Subpart A--Applicability and Policy
Sec.
801.1 Applicability.
801.2 Policy.
801.3 Definitions.
Subpart B--Administration
801.10 General.
801.11 Segregability of records.
801.12 Protection of records.
Subpart C--Time Limits
801.20 Processing of records.
801.21 Initial determination.
801.22 Final determination.
801.23 Extension.
Subpart D--Accident Investigation Records
801.30 Records from accident investigations.
801.31 Public hearings regarding investigations.
801.32 Accident reports.
Subpart E--Other Board Documents
801.40 The Board's rules.
801.41 Reports to Congress.
Subpart F--Exemption from Public Disclosure
801.50 Exemptions from disclosure.
801.51 National defense and foreign policy secrets.
801.52 Internal personnel rules and practices of the NTSB.
801.53 Records exempt by statute from disclosure.
801.54 Trade secrets and commercial or financial information.
801.55 Interagency and intra-agency exchanges.
801.56 Unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.
801.57 Records compiled for law enforcement purposes.
801.58 Records for regulation of financial institutions.
801.59 Geological records.
Subpart G--Fee Schedule
801.60 Fee schedule.
801.61 Appeals of fee determinations.
Authority: Independent Safety Board Act of 1974, as amended (49
U.S.C. 1101-1155); 5 U.S.C. 551(2); Freedom of Information Act (5
U.S.C. 552); 18 U.S.C. 641 and 2071; 31 U.S.C. 3717 and 9701;
Federal Records Act, 44 U.S.C. Chapters 21, 29, 31, and 33.
Subpart A--Applicability and Policy
Sec. 801.1 Applicability.
(a) This part contains the rules that the National Transportation
Safety Board (NTSB) follows in processing requests for records under
the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552. These rules should
be read together with the FOIA, which provides additional information
about public access to records maintained by the NTSB.
(b) This part also provides for document services and the fees for
such services, pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 9701.
(c) This part applies only to records existing when the request for
the information is made. The NTSB is not required to create records for
the sole purpose of responding to a FOIA request.
(d) Sections 801.51 through 801.59 of this chapter describe records
that are exempt from public disclosure.
Sec. 801.2 Policy.
(a) In implementing 5 U.S.C. 552, it is the policy of the NTSB to
make information available to the public to the greatest extent
possible, consistent with the mission of the NTSB. Information the NTSB
routinely provides to the public as part of a regular NTSB activity
(such as press releases and information disclosed on the NTSB's public
Web site) may be provided to the public without compliance with this
part. In addition, as a matter of policy, the NTSB may make
discretionary disclosures of records or information otherwise exempt
from disclosure under the FOIA whenever disclosure would not
foreseeably harm an interest protected by a FOIA exemption; however,
this policy does not create any right enforceable in court.
(b) Given the NTSB's stated policy of providing as much information
as possible regarding general NTSB operations and releasing documents
involving investigations, the NTSB strongly encourages requesters
seeking information to check the NTSB's Web site for such information
before submitting a FOIA request. For every investigation in which the
NTSB has determined the probable cause of an accident, the NTSB's
docket management system will include a ``public docket'' containing
[[Page 18916]]
documentation that the investigator-in-charge deemed pertinent to the
investigation. Requesters may obtain these public dockets without
submitting a FOIA request. The NTSB encourages all requesters to review
the public docket materials before submitting a FOIA request.
Sec. 801.3 Definitions.
The following definitions shall apply in this part:
(a) ``Record'' includes any writing, drawing, map, recording, tape,
film, photo, or other documentary material by which information is
preserved. In this part, ``document'' and ``record'' shall have the
same meaning.
(b) ``Redact'' refers to the act of making a portion of text
illegible by placing a black mark on top of the text.
(c) ``Public Docket'' includes a collection of records from an
accident investigation that the investigator who oversaw the
investigation of that accident has deemed pertinent to determining the
probable cause of the accident.
(d) ``Non-docket'' items include other records from an accident
that the investigator who oversaw the investigation of that accident
has deemed irrelevant or not directly pertinent to determining the
probable cause of the accident.
(e) ``Chairman'' means the Chairman of the NTSB.
(f) ``Managing Director'' means the Managing Director of the NTSB.
(g) ``Requester'' means any person, as defined in 5 U.S.C. 551(2),
who submits a request pursuant to the FOIA.
Subpart B--Administration
Sec. 801.10 General.
(a) The NTSB's Chief, Records Management Division, is responsible
for the custody and control of all NTSB records required to be
preserved under the Federal Records Act, 44 U.S.C. Chapters 21, 29, 31,
and 33.
(b) The NTSB's FOIA Officer shall be responsible for the initial
determination of whether to release records within the 20-working-day
time limit, or the extension specified in the Freedom of Information
Act.
(c) The NTSB's Chief, Records Management Division, shall:
(1) Maintain for public access and commercial reproduction all
accident files containing aviation and surface investigators' reports,
factual accident reports or group chairman reports, documentation and
accident correspondence files, transcripts of public hearings, if any,
and exhibits; and
(2) Maintain a public reference room, also known as a ``Reading
Room,'' in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(2). The NTSB's public
reference room is located at 490 East L'Enfant Plaza, SW., Washington,
DC. Other records may be available in the NTSB's Electronic Reading
Room, which is located on the NTSB's Web site, found at https://
www.ntsb.gov.
(d) Requests for documents must be made in writing to: National
Transportation Safety Board, Attention: FOIA Officer CIO-40, 490
L'Enfant Plaza, SW., Washington, DC 20594-2000. All requests:
(1) Must reasonably identify the record requested. For requests
regarding an investigation of a particular accident, requesters should
include the date and location of the accident, as well as the NTSB
investigation number. In response to broad requests for records
regarding a particular investigation, the FOIA Office will notify the
requester of the existence of a public docket, and state that other
non-docket items may be available, or may become available, at a later
date. After receiving this letter and reviewing the items in the public
docket, requesters should notify the FOIA office if the items contained
in the public docket suffice to fulfill their request.
(2) Must be accompanied by the fee or agreement (if any) to pay the
reproduction costs shown in the fee schedule at Sec. 801.60 of this
title, and
(3) Must contain the name, address, and telephone number of the
person making the request. Requesters must update their address and
telephone number in writing should this information change.
(e) The envelope in which the requester submits the request should
be marked prominently with the letters ``FOIA.'' If a request fails to
include a citation to the FOIA, the NTSB FOIA Office will attempt to
contact the requester immediately to rectify the omission and/or
clarify the request. However, the 20-working-day time limit for
processing shall not commence until the FOIA Office receives a complete
request.
(f) The field offices of the NTSB shall not maintain, for public
access, records maintained by the Chief, Records Management Division.
Requests mailed to NTSB field offices will not satisfy the NTSB's
requirements for submitting a FOIA request.
(g) The NTSB may work with a commercial reproduction firm to
accommodate requests for reproduction of accident records from the
public docket. The reproduction charges may be subject to change. The
NTSB will update its FOIA Web site to reflect any such changes. Section
801.60 of this title contains a current fee schedule.
(h) The NTSB will not release records originally generated by other
agencies or entities. Instead, the NTSB will refer such requests for
other agencies' records to the appropriate agency, which will make a
release determination upon receiving and processing the referred
request.
(i) Where a requester seeks a record on behalf of another person,
and the record contains that person's personal information protected by
Exemption 6 of the FOIA (see section 801.56 of this title), the NTSB
requires the requester to submit a notarized statement of consent from
the person whose personal information is contained in the record,
before the NTSB releases the record.
(j) In general, the NTSB will deny requests for records concerning
a pending investigation, pursuant to appropriate exemptions under the
FOIA. The FOIA Office will notify the requester of this denial, and
will provide the requester with information regarding how the requester
may receive information on the investigation once the investigation is
complete. The NTSB discourages requesters from submitting multiple FOIA
requests in a continuing effort to obtain records before an
investigation is complete.
Sec. 801.11 Segregability of records.
The initial decision of the FOIA Officer will include a
determination of segregability. If it is reasonable to do so, the
exempt portions of a record will be segregated and, where necessary,
redacted, and the nonexempt portions will be sent to the requester.
Sec. 801.12 Protection of records.
(a) No person may, without permission, remove from the place where
it is made available any record made available for inspection or
copying under Sec. 801.10(c)(2) of this part. Stealing, altering,
mutilating, obliterating, or destroying, in whole or in part, such a
record shall be deemed a criminal offense.
(b) Section 641 of title 18 of the United States Code provides, in
pertinent part, as follows: ``Whoever * * * steals, purloins, or
knowingly converts to his use or the use of another, or without
authority, sells, conveys or disposes of any record * * * or thing of
value of the United States or of any department or agency thereof * * *
shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years,
or both; but if the value of such property in the aggregate, combining
amounts from all the counts for which the
[[Page 18917]]
defendant is convicted in a single case, does not exceed the sum of
$1,000, he shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than
one year, or both.''
(c) Section 2071(a) of title 18 of the United States Code provides,
in pertinent part, as follows:
Whoever willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates,
obliterates, or destroys, or attempts to do so, or, with intent to
do so takes and carries away any record, proceeding, map, book,
paper, document, or other thing, filed or deposited * * * in any
public office, or with any * * * public officer of the United
States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than
three years, or both.
Subpart C--Time Limits
Sec. 801.20 Processing of requests.
(a) The NTSB processes FOIA requests upon receipt. The NTSB FOIA
Office may notify the requester that the NTSB has received the request.
The FOIA Office will then place each request on one of three tracks:
(1) Track 1: Requests for which there are no records, requests that
meet the criteria for expedited processing, or requests that seek
records that have been produced in response to a prior request.
(2) Track 2: Requests that do not involve voluminous records or
lengthy consultations with other entities.
(3) Track 3: Requests that involve voluminous records and for which
lengthy or numerous consultations are required, or those requests which
may involve sensitive records.
(b) Regarding expedited processing, if a requester states that he
or she has a compelling need for the expedited treatment of their
request, then the NTSB FOIA Office will determine whether to expedite
the request and, where appropriate, do so.
Sec. 801.21 Initial determination.
The NTSB FOIA Officer will make an initial determination as to
whether to release a record within 20 working days (excluding
Saturdays, Sundays, and legal public holidays) after the request is
received. This time limit may be extended up to 10 additional working
days in accordance with Sec. 801.23 of this part. The person making
the request will be notified immediately in writing of such
determination. If a determination is made to release the requested
record(s), such record(s) will be made available promptly. If the FOIA
Officer determines not to release the record(s), the person making the
request will, when he or she is notified of such determination, be
advised of:
(a) The reason for the determination,
(b) the right to appeal the determination, and
(c) the name and title or positions of each person responsible for
the denial of the request.
Sec. 801.22 Final determination.
Requesters seeking an appeal of the FOIA Officer's initial
determination must send a written appeal to the NTSB's Managing
Director within 20 days. The NTSB's Managing Director will determine
whether to grant or deny any appeal made pursuant to Sec. 801.21
within 20 working days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal public
holidays) after receipt of such appeal, except that this time limit may
be extended for as many as 10 additional working days, in accordance
with Sec. 801.23.
Sec. 801.23 Extension.
In unusual circumstances as specified in this section, the time
limits prescribed in either Sec. 801.21 or Sec. 801.22, may be
extended by written notice to the person making a request and setting
forth the reasons for such extension and the date on which a
determination is expected to be dispatched. Such notice will not
specify a date that would result in an extension for more than 10
working days. As used in this paragraph, ``unusual circumstances,'' as
they relate to any delay that is reasonably necessary to the proper
processing of the particular request, means--
(a) The need to search for and collect the requested records from
field facilities or other establishments;
(b) The need to search for, collect, and appropriately examine and
process a voluminous amount of records which are the subject of a
single request; or
(c) The need to consult with another agency that has a substantial
interest in the disposition of the request or with two or more
components of the agency having substantial subject-matter interest
therein.
Subpart D--Accident Investigation Records
Sec. 801.30 Records from accident investigations.
Upon completion of an accident investigation, each NTSB
investigator (or ``group chairman,'' depending on the investigation)
shall complete a factual report with supporting documentation and
include these items in the public docket for the investigation. The
Chief, Records Management Division, will then make the records
available to the public for inspection or production by an order for
commercial copying.
Sec. 801.31 Public hearings regarding investigations.
Within approximately four (4) weeks after a public hearing
concerning an investigation, the Chief, Records Management Division,
will make available to the public the hearing transcript. On or before
the date of the hearing, the Chief, Records Management Division, will
make the exhibits introduced at the hearing available to the public for
inspection or commercial copy order.
Sec. 801.32 Accident reports.
(a) The NTSB will report the facts, conditions, and circumstances,
and its determination of the probable causes of U.S. civil
transportation accidents, in accordance with 49 U.S.C. 1131(e).
(b) These reports may be made available for public inspection in
the NTSB's public reference room and/or on the NTSB's Web site, at
https://www.ntsb.gov.
Subpart E--Other Board Documents
Sec. 801.40 The Board's rules.
The NTSB's rules are published in the Code of Federal Regulations
as Parts 800 through 850 of Title 49.
Sec. 801.41 Reports to Congress.
The NTSB submits its annual report to Congress each year, in
accordance with 49 U.S.C. 1117. The report will be available on the
NTSB's Web site, found at https://www.ntsb.gov. Interested parties may
purchase the report from the Government Printing Office or review it in
the NTSB's public reference room. All other reports or comments to
Congress will be available in the NTSB's public reference room for
inspection or by ordering a copy after issuance.
Subpart F--Exemption From Public Disclosure
Sec. 801.50 Exemptions from disclosure.
Title 5, United States Code section 552(a) and (b) exempt certain
records from public disclosure. As stated in Sec. 801.2 of this title,
the NTSB may choose to make a discretionary release of a record that is
authorized to be withheld under 5 U.S.C. 552(b), unless it determines
that the release of that record would be inconsistent with the purpose
of the exemption concerned. Examples of records given in Sec. Sec.
801.51 through 801.58 included within a particular statutory exemption
are not necessarily illustrative of all types of records covered by the
applicable exemption.
[[Page 18918]]
Sec. 801.51 National defense and foreign policy secrets.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(1), national defense and foreign policy
secrets established by Executive Order, as well as properly classified
documents, are exempt from public disclosure. Requests to the NTSB for
such records will be transferred to the source agency as appropriate,
where such classified records are identified. (See, e.g., Executive
Order 12,958, as amended on March 25, 2003.)
Sec. 801.52 Internal personnel rules and practices of the NTSB.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(2), the following records are exempt
from disclosure under FOIA:
(a) Records relating solely to internal personnel rules and
practices, including memoranda pertaining to personnel matters such as
staffing policies, and procedures for the hiring, training, promotion,
demotion, or discharge of employees, and management plans, records, or
proposals relating to labor-management relations.
(b) Records regarding:
(1) Internal matters of a relatively trivial nature that have no
significant public interest, and
(2) Predominantly internal matters, the release of which would risk
circumvention of a statute or agency regulation.
Sec. 801.53 Records exempt by statute from disclosure.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(3), the NTSB will not disclose records
specifically exempted from disclosure by statute (other than 5 U.S.C.
552(b)), provided that such statute:
(a) Requires that the matters be withheld from the public in such
manner as to leave no discretion on the issue, or
(b) Establishes particular criteria for withholding or refers to
particular types of matters to be withheld.
Sec. 801.54 Trade secrets and commercial or financial information.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4), trade secrets and items containing
commercial or financial information that are obtained from a person and
are privileged or confidential are exempt from public disclosure.
Sec. 801.55 Interagency and intra-agency exchanges.
(a) Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(5), any record prepared by an NTSB
employee for internal Government use is exempt from public disclosure
to the extent that it contains--
(1) Opinions made in the course of developing official action by
the NTSB but not actually made a part of that official action, or
(2) Information concerning any pending NTSB proceeding, or similar
matter, including any claim or other dispute to be resolved before a
court of law, administrative board, hearing officer, or contracting
officer.
(b) The purpose of this section is to protect the full and frank
exchange of ideas, views, and opinions necessary for the effective
functioning of the NTSB. These resources must be fully and readily
available to those officials upon whom the responsibility rests to take
official NTSB action. Its purpose is also to protect against the
premature disclosure of material that is in the developmental stage, if
premature disclosure would be detrimental to the authorized and
appropriate purposes for which the material is being used, or if,
because of its tentative nature, the material is likely to be revised
or modified before it is officially presented to the public.
(c) Examples of materials covered by this section include, but are
not limited to, staff papers containing advice, opinions, or
suggestions preliminary to a decision or action; preliminary notes;
advance information on such things as proposed plans to procure, lease,
or otherwise hire and dispose of materials, real estate, or facilities;
documents exchanged in preparation for anticipated legal proceedings;
material intended for public release at a specified future time, if
premature disclosure would be detrimental to orderly processes of the
NTSB; records of inspections, investigations, and surveys pertaining to
internal management of the NTSB; and matters that would not be
routinely disclosed in litigation but which are likely to be the
subject of litigation.
Sec. 801.56 Unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(6), any personal, medical, or similar
file is exempt from public disclosure if its disclosure would harm the
individual concerned or would be a clearly unwarranted invasion of the
person's personal privacy.
Sec. 801.57 Records compiled for law enforcement purposes.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(7), any records compiled for law or
regulatory enforcement are exempt from public disclosure to the extent
that disclosure would interfere with enforcement, would be an
unwarranted invasion of privacy, would disclose the identity of a
confidential source, would disclose investigative procedures and
practices, or would endanger the life or security of law enforcement
personnel.
Sec. 801.58 Records for regulation of financial institutions.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(8), records compiled for agencies
regulating or supervising financial institutions are exempt from public
disclosure.
Sec. 801.59 Geological records.
Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(9), records concerning geological wells
are exempt from public disclosure.
Subpart G--Fee Schedule
Sec. 801.60 Fee schedule.
(a) Authority. Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(4)(i) and 52 FR 10,012
(Mar. 27, 1987), the NTSB may charge certain fees for processing
requests under the FOIA in accordance with paragraph (c) of this
section, except where fees are limited under paragraph (d) of this
section, or where a waiver or reduction of fees is granted under
paragraph (e) of this section. The NTSB may collect all applicable fees
before sending copies of requested records to a requester. A requester
must pay fees in accordance with the instructions provided on the
invoice the FOIA Office sends to the requester.
(b) Definitions. For purposes of this section:
(1) Commercial use request means a request from or on behalf of a
person who seeks information for a use or purpose that furthers his or
her commercial, trade, or profit interests. This includes the
furtherance of commercial interests through litigation. When it appears
that the requester will use the requested records for a commercial
purpose, either because of the nature of the request or because the
NTSB has reasonable cause to doubt a requester's stated use, the NTSB
shall provide the requester with a reasonable opportunity to submit
further clarification.
(2) Direct costs means those expenses that an agency actually
incurs in searching for, reviewing, and duplicating records in response
to a FOIA request. This includes the salaries of employees performing
the work, as listed below, but does not include overhead expenses such
as the costs of office space.
(3) Duplication means the copying of a record, or of the
information contained in a record, in response to a FOIA request.
(4) Educational institution means a preschool, a public or private
elementary or secondary school, an institution of undergraduate higher
education, an institution of graduate
[[Page 18919]]
higher education, an institution of professional education, or an
institution of vocational education, that operates a program of
scholarly research. In order for a requester to demonstrate that their
request falls within the category of an ``educational institution,''
the requester must show that the request is authorized by the
qualifying institution and that the requester does not seek the records
for commercial use, but only to further scholarly research.
(5) Representative of the news media or ``news media requester''
means any person actively gathering news for an entity that is
organized and operated to publish or broadcast news to the public. For
``freelance'' journalists to be regarded as working for a news
organization, they must demonstrate a solid basis for expecting
publication through that organization (for example, a journalist may
submit a copy of a publication contract for which the journalist needs
NTSB records).
(6) Review means the examination of a record located in response to
a request in order to determine whether any portion of it is exempt
from disclosure. ``Review'' also includes processing the record(s) for
disclosure, which includes redacting and otherwise preparing releasable
records for disclosure. The NTSB may require review costs even if the
NTSB ultimately does not release the record(s).
(7) Search means the process of looking for and retrieving records
or information within the scope of a request. ``Search'' includes page-
by-page or line-by-line identification of information within records
and also includes reasonable efforts to locate and retrieve information
from records maintained in electronic form or format. The NTSB will
make an effort to conduct such searches in the least expensive manner.
(c) Fees. In responding to FOIA requests, the NTSB will charge the
following fees unless a waiver or reduction of fees has been granted
under paragraph (d) of this section:
(1) Search.
(i) The NTSB will charge search fees for all requests, unless an
educational institution, a noncommercial scientific institution, or a
news media representative submits a request containing adequate
justification for obtaining a fee waiver. These fees, however, are
subject to the limitations of paragraph (d) of this section. The NTSB
may charge for time spent searching even if the NTSB does not locate
any responsive record or if the NTSB withholds the record(s) located
because such record(s) are exempt from disclosure.
(ii) The NTSB will charge $4.00 for each quarter of an hour spent
by clerical personnel in searching for and retrieving a requested
record. Where clerical personnel cannot entirely perform a search and
retrieval (for example, where the identification of records within the
scope of a request requires the assistance of professional personnel),
the applicable fee will instead be $7.00 for each quarter hour of
search time spent by professional personnel. Where a request requires
the time of managerial personnel, the fee will be $10.25 for each
quarter hour of time spent by these personnel.
(2) Duplication. The NTSB will charge duplication fees, subject to
the limitations of paragraph (d) of this section.
(i) The NTSB utilizes the services of a commercial reproduction
facility for requests for duplicates of NTSB public dockets and
publications.
(ii) Regarding the reproduction of non-public records in response
to a FOIA request, the NTSB will charge $0.10 per page for the
duplication of a standard-size paper record. For other forms of
duplication, the NTSB will charge the direct costs of the duplication.
(iii) Where the NTSB certifies records upon request, the NTSB will
charge the direct cost of certification.
(3) Review. The NTSB will charge fees for the initial review of a
record to determine whether the record falls within the scope of a
request, or whether the record is exempt from disclosure. Such fees
will be charged to requesters who make a request for commercial
purposes. The NTSB will not charge for subsequent review of the request
and responsive record; for example, in general, the NTSB will not
charge additional fees for review at the administrative appeal level
when the NTSB has already applied an exemption. The NTSB will charge
review fees at the same rate as those charged for a search under
paragraph (c)(1)(ii), above.
(c) Limitations on charging fees. For purposes of this section:
(1) The NTSB will not charge a fee for notices, decisions, orders,
etc. provided to persons acting as parties in the investigation, or
where required by law to be served on a party to any proceeding or
matter before the NTSB. Likewise, the NTSB will not charge fees for
requests made by family members of accident victims, when the NTSB has
investigated the accident that is the subject of the FOIA request.
(2) The NTSB will not charge a search fee for requests from
educational institutions or representatives of the news media.
(3) The NTSB will not charge a search fee or review fee for a
quarter-hour period unless more than half of that period is required
for search or review.
(4) Except for requesters seeking records for commercial use, the
NTSB will provide the following items without charge:
(i) The first 100 pages of duplication (or the cost equivalent) of
a record; and
(ii) The first two hours of search (or the cost equivalent) for a
record.
(5) Whenever the total fee calculated under paragraph (c) of this
section is $14.00 or less for any request, the NTSB will not charge a
fee.
(6) When the NTSB's FOIA Office determines or estimates that fees
to be charged under this section will amount to more than $25.00, the
Office will notify the requester of the actual or estimated amount of
the fees, unless the requester has indicated a willingness to pay fees
as high as those anticipated. If the FOIA Office is able to estimate
only a portion of the expected fee, the FOIA Office will advise the
requester that the estimated fee may be only a portion of the total
fee. Where the FOIA Office notifies a requester that the actual or
estimated fees will exceed $25.00, the NTSB will not expend additional
agency resources on the request until the requester agrees in writing
to pay the anticipated total fee. In circumstances involving a total
fee that will exceed $250.00, the NTSB may require the requester to
make an advance payment or deposit of a specific amount before
beginning to process the request.
(7) The NTSB may charge interest on any unpaid bill starting on the
31st day following the date of billing the requester. Interest charges
will be assessed at the rate provided at 31 U.S.C. 3717 and will accrue
from the date of the billing until the NTSB receives payment. The NTSB
shall follow the provisions of the Debt Collection Act of 1982 (Pub. L.
97-365, 96 Stat. 1749), as amended, and its administrative procedures,
including the use of consumer reporting agencies, collection agencies,
and offset.
(8) Where a requester has previously failed to pay a properly
charged FOIA fee to the NTSB within 30 days of the date of billing, the
NTSB may require the requester to pay the full amount due, plus any
applicable interest, and to make an advance payment of the full amount
of any anticipated fee, before the NTSB begins to process a new request
or continues to process a pending request from that requester.
[[Page 18920]]
(9) Where the NTSB reasonably believes that a requester or group of
requesters acting together is attempting to divide a request into
multiple series of requests for the purpose of avoiding fees, the NTSB
may aggregate those requests and charge accordingly.
(d) Requirements for waiver or reduction of fees. For fee purposes,
the NTSB will determine, whenever reasonably possible, the use to which
a requester will put the requested records.
(1) The NTSB will furnish records responsive to a request without
charge, or at a reduced charge, where the NTSB determines, based on all
available information, that the requester has shown that:
(i) Disclosure of the requested information is in the public
interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public
understanding of the operations of activities of the government, and
(ii) Disclosure of the requested information is not primarily in
the commercial interest or for the commercial use of the requester.
(2) In determining whether disclosure of the requested information
is in the public interest, the NTSB will consider the following
factors:
(i) Whether the subject of the requested records concerns
identifiable operations or activities of the federal government, with a
connection that is direct and clear, and not remote or attenuated. In
this regard, the NTSB will consider whether a requester's use of the
documents would enhance transportation safety or contribute to the
NTSB's programs.
(ii) Whether the portions of a record subject to disclosure are
meaningfully informative about government operations or activities. The
disclosure of information already in the public domain, in either a
duplicative or substantially identical form, would not be as likely to
contribute to such understanding where nothing new would be added to
the public's understanding.
(iii) Whether disclosure of the requested information would
contribute to the understanding of a reasonably broad audience of
persons interested in the subject, as opposed to the individual
understanding of the requester. The NTSB will consider a requester's
expertise in the subject area and ability to effectively convey
information to the public.
(iv) Whether the disclosure is likely to enhance the public's
understanding of government operations or activities.
(3) In determining whether the requester is primarily in the
commercial interest of the requester, the NTSB will consider the
following factors:
(i) The existence and magnitude of any commercial interest the
requester may have, or of any person on whose behalf the requester may
be acting. The NTSB will provide requesters with an opportunity in the
administrative process to submit explanatory information regarding this
consideration.
(ii) Whether the commercial interest is greater in magnitude than
any public interest in disclosure.
(4) Additionally, the NTSB may, at its discretion, waive
publication, reproduction, and search fees for qualifying foreign
countries, international organizations, nonprofit public safety
entities, State and Federal transportation agencies, and colleges and
universities, after approval by the Chief, Records Management Division.
(5) Where only some of the records to be released satisfy the
requirements for a waiver of fees, the NTSB will grant a waiver for
those particular records.
(6) Requests for the waiver or reduction of fees should address the
factors listed in paragraphs (e)(2) and (e)(3) of this section, insofar
as they apply to each request. The NTSB will exercise its discretion to
consider the cost-effectiveness of its use of administrative resources
in determining whether to grant waivers or reductions of fees.
(e) Services available free of charge.
(1) The following documents are available without commercial
reproduction cost until limited supplies are exhausted:
(i) Press releases;
(ii) Safety Board regulations (Chapter VIII of Title 49, Code of
Federal Regulations);
(iii) Indexes to initial decisions, Board orders, opinion and
orders, and staff manuals and instructions;
(iv) Safety recommendations; and
(v) NTSB Annual Reports.
(2) The NTSB public Web site, located at https://www.ntsb.gov, also
includes an e-mail subscription service for press releases, safety
recommendations, and other announcements.
Sec. 801.61 Appeals of fee determinations.
Requesters seeking an appeal of the FOIA Officer's fee or fee
waiver determination must send a written appeal to the NTSB's Managing
Director within 20 days. The NTSB's Managing Director will determine
whether to grant or deny any appeal made pursuant to Sec. 801.21
within 20 working days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal public
holidays) after receipt of such appeal, except that this time limit may
be extended for as many as 10 additional working days, in accordance
with Sec. 801.23.
Dated: April 10, 2007.
Vicky D'Onofrio,
Federal Register Liaison Officer.
[FR Doc. E7-7103 Filed 4-13-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7533-01-P
