[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 43, Volume 1]
[Revised as of October 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 43CFR2.18]

[Page 14]
 
                    TITLE 43--PUBLIC LANDS: INTERIOR
 
PART 2--RECORDS AND TESTIMONY; FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT--Table of Contents
 
                     Subpart B--Requests for Records
 
Sec. 2.18  Appeals.

    (a) Right of appeal. A requester may appeal to the Assistant 
Secretary--Policy, Budget and Administration when--
    (1) Records have been withheld,
    (2) A request has been denied for failure to describe requested 
records or for other procedural deficiency or because requested records 
cannot be located,
    (3) A fee waiver has been denied, or
    (4) A request has not been decided within the time limits provided 
in Sec. 2.17.
    (b) Time for appeal. An appeal must be received no later than 20 
working days after the date of the initial denial, in the case of a 
denial of an entire request, or 20 working days after records have been 
made available, in the case of a partial denial.
    (c) Form of appeal. (1) An appeal shall be initiated by filing a 
written notice of appeal. The notice shall be accompanied by copies of 
the original request and the initial denial and should, in order to 
expedite the appellate process and give the requester an opportunity to 
present his or her arguments, contain a brief statement of the reasons 
why the requester believes the initial denial to have been in error.
    (2) The appeal shall be addressed to the Freedom of Information Act 
Appeals Officer, Office of the Assistant Secretary--Policy, Budget and 
Administration, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, DC 20240.
    (3) To expedite processing, both the envelope containing a notice of 
appeal and the face of the notice should bear the legend ``FREEDOM OF 
INFORMATION APPEAL.''