[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 13, Volume 1]
[Revised as of January 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 13CFR102.4]

[Page 12]
 
                TITLE 13--BUSINESS CREDIT AND ASSISTANCE
 
                CHAPTER I--SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
 
PART 102_RECORD DISCLOSURE AND PRIVACY--Table of Contents
 
                   Subpart A_Disclosure of Information
 
Sec.  102.4  Timing of responses to requests.

    (a) In general. Subject to paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, 
once the correct office receives your complete request, that office must 
respond within 20 working days unless that office notifies you in 
writing that the time is extended by an additional 10 working days for 
one or more of the following reasons:
    (1) The need to search for and collect the requested records from 
field facilities or other establishments separate from the office 
processing the request;
    (2) The need to search for, collect, and appropriately examine a 
voluminous amount of separate and distinct records which are demanded in 
a single request; or
    (3) The need for consultation, which shall be conducted with all 
practicable speed, with another agency having substantial interest in 
the determination of the request or among two or more components of the 
agency having substantial subject matter interest therein.
    (b) Additional time. Where an extension of more than ten working 
days will be necessary due to exceptional circumstances, the correct 
office will give the requester an opportunity to modify the request so 
it may be processed within the usual time limits in paragraph (a) of 
this section, or to arrange an alternative time period for processing 
the request or a modified request.
    (c) Expedited processing. (1) SBA will give expedited processing to 
requests and appeals upon written request, if one of the following 
conditions is met:
    (i) You demonstrate someone's life or physical safety will be in 
imminent danger if SBA does not expedite its response to your request; 
or
    (ii) You are a news media representative (as defined in Sec.  
102.6(b)(8)) who demonstrates an urgent need to inform the public about 
an actual or alleged Federal government activity.
    (2) You must provide a written statement, certified to be true and 
correct to the best of your knowledge and belief, explaining in detail 
one of these circumstances of ``compelling need'' and submit it to the 
correct office. Within 10 working days of its receipt of such a 
statement, or sooner, if SBA concludes that circumstances warrant, that 
office will notify you of its decision whether or not to grant expedited 
processing. If expedited processing is granted, the request shall be 
given priority and processed as soon as practicable. If an expedited 
processing request is denied, an appeal may be submitted which will be 
acted on expeditiously.
    (d) Multiple requests. Where an office believes that multiple 
requests submitted by a requester, or by a group of collaborating 
requesters, constitute a single request that would otherwise involve 
unusual circumstances, and the requests involve clearly related matters, 
they will be aggregated for processing.