[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 20, Volume 2]
[Revised as of April 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 20CFR402.140]

[Page 34]
 
                      TITLE 20--EMPLOYEES' BENEFITS
 
               CHAPTER III--SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
 
PART 402_AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION AND RECORDS TO THE PUBLIC--Table 
of Contents
 
Sec. 402.140  How a request for a record is processed.

    (a) In general, we will make a determination as to whether a 
requested record will be provided within 20 days (excepting Saturdays, 
Sundays, and legal public holidays) after receipt of a request by the 
appropriate official (see Sec. 402.135). This 20-day period may be 
extended in unusual circumstances by written notice to you, explaining 
why we need additional time, and the extension may be for up to 10 
additional working days when one or more of the following situations 
exist:
    (1) The office processing the request needs to locate and then 
obtain the record from another facility;
    (2) We need to locate, obtain, and appropriately examine a large 
number of records which are requested in a single request; or
    (3) The office processing the request needs to consult with another 
agency which has a substantial interest in the subject matter of the 
request. This consultation shall be conducted with all practicable 
speed.
    (b) If we cannot process your request within 10 additional days, we 
will notify you and provide you an opportunity to limit the scope of the 
request so that it may be processed within the additional 10 days, or we 
will provide you with an opportunity to arrange with us an alternative 
time frame for processing the request, or for processing a modified 
request.
    (c) Multi-tracking procedures. We will establish four tracks for 
handling requests and the track to which a request is assigned will 
depend on the nature of the request and the estimated processing time:
    (1) Track 1--Requests that can be answered with readily available 
records or information. These are the fastest to process.
    (2) Track 2--Requests where we need records or information from 
other offices throughout the Agency but we do not expect that the 
decision on disclosure will be as time consuming as for requests in 
Track 3.
    (3) Track 3--Requests which require a decision or input from another 
office or agency and a considerable amount of time will be needed for 
that, or the request is complicated or involves a large number of 
records. Usually, these cases will take the longest to process.
    (4) Track 4--Requests that will be expedited.
    (d) We will provide for expedited access for requesters who show a 
``compelling need'' for a speedy response. The EFOIA describes 
compelling need as when the failure to obtain the records on an 
expedited basis could reasonably be expected to pose ``an imminent 
threat to the life or physical safety of an individual,'' or when the 
request is from a person primarily engaged in disseminating information 
(such as a member of the news media), and there is an ``urgency to 
inform the public concerning actual or alleged Federal Government 
activity.'' We also will expedite processing of a request if the 
requester explains in detail to our satisfaction that a prompt response 
is needed because the requester may be denied a legal right, benefit, or 
remedy without the requested information, and that it cannot be obtained 
elsewhere in a reasonable amount of time. We will respond within 10 days 
to a request for expedited processing and, if we decide to grant 
expedited processing, we will then notify you of our decision whether or 
not to disclose the records requested as soon as practicable.

[63 FR 35133, June 29, 1998]