[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 19, Volume 3]
[Revised as of January 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 19CFR201.17]

[Page 27-28]
 
                        TITLE 19--CUSTOMS DUTIES
 
                            TRADE COMMISSION
 
PART 201--RULES OF GENERAL APPLICATION--Table of Contents
 
   Subpart C--Availability of Information to the Public Pursuant to 5 
                               U.S.C. 552
 
Sec.  201.17  Procedures for requesting access to records.

    Authority: 19 U.S.C. 1335, 5 U.S.C. 552.

    Source: 40 FR 8328, Feb. 27, 1975, unless otherwise noted.


    (a) Requests for records. (1) A request for any information or 
record shall be addressed to the Secretary, United States International 
Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW., Washington, DC 20436 and shall 
indicate clearly both on the envelope and in the letter that it is a 
``Freedom of Information Act Request.''
    (2) Any request shall reasonably describe the requested record to 
facilitate location of the record. If the request pertains to a record 
that is part of the Commission's file in an investigation, the request 
should identify the investigation by number and name. A clear 
description of the requested record(s) should reduce the time required 
by the Commission to locate and disclose releasable responsive record(s) 
and minimize any applicable search and copying charges.
    (3) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, requests 
will be processed in the order in which they are filed.
    (4) Requests for transcripts of hearings should be addressed to the 
official hearing reporter, the name and address of which can be obtained 
from the Secretary. A copy of such request shall at the same time be 
forwarded to the Secretary.
    (5) Copies of public Commission reports and other publications can 
be requested by calling or writing the Publications Office in the Office 
of the Secretary. Generally, such publications can be obtained more 
quickly from this office. Certain Commission publications are sold by 
the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, and 
are available from that agency at the price set by that agency.
    (6) A day-to-day, composite record will be kept by the Secretary of 
each request with the disposition thereof.

[[Page 28]]

    (b) Expedited processing. (1) Requests for records under paragraph 
(a)(1) of this section will be taken out of order and given expedited 
treatment whenever it is determined that they involve:
    (i) Circumstances in which the lack of expedited treatment could 
reasonably be expected to pose an imminent threat to the life or 
physical safety of an individual;
    (ii) An urgency to inform the public about an actual or alleged 
federal government activity, if made by a person primarily engaged in 
disseminating information;
    (iii) The loss of substantial due process rights; or
    (iv) A matter of widespread and exceptional media interest in which 
there exist possible questions about the government's integrity which 
affect public confidence.
    (2) A request for expedited processing may be made at the time of 
the initial request for records or at any later time.
    (3) A requester who seeks expedited processing must submit a 
statement, certified to be true and correct to the best of that person's 
knowledge and belief, explaining in detail the basis for requesting 
expedited processing. For example, a requester within paragraph 
(b)(1)(ii) of this section, if not a full-time member of the news media, 
must establish that he or she is a person whose main professional 
activity or occupation is information dissemination, though it need not 
be his or her sole occupation. A requester within paragraph (b)(1)(ii) 
of this section also must establish a particular urgency to inform the 
public about the government activity involved in the request, beyond the 
public's right to know about government activity generally. The 
formality of certification may be waived as a matter of administrative 
discretion.
    (4) Within ten calendar days of receipt of a request for expedited 
processing, the Secretary will decide whether to grant it and will 
notify the requester of the decision. If a request for expedited 
treatment is granted, the request will be given priority and will be 
processed as soon as practicable. If a request for expedited processing 
is denied, any appeal of that decision will be acted on expeditiously.
    (c) Public reading room. The Commission maintains a public reading 
room in the Office of the Secretary for access to the records that the 
FOIA requires to be made regularly available for public inspection and 
copying. Reading room records created by the Commission on or after 
November 1, 1996, are available electronically. This includes a current 
subject-matter index of reading room records, which will indicate which 
records are available electronically.

[63 FR 29347, May 29, 1998]