[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 5, Volume 3]
[Revised as of January 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 5CFR1631.14]

[Page 230-231]
 
                    TITLE 5--ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL
 
         CHAPTER VI--FEDERAL RETIREMENT THRIFT INVESTMENT BOARD
 
PART 1631_AVAILABILITY OF RECORDS--Table of Contents
 
   Subpart A_Production or Disclosure of Records Under the Freedom of 
                      Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552
 
Sec.  1631.14  Fee schedule.

    (a) Manual searches for records. The Board will charge at the salary 
rate(s) plus 23.5 percent (to cover benefits) of the employee(s) 
conducting the search. The Board may assess charges for time spend 
searching, even if the Board fails

[[Page 231]]

to locate the records or if records located are determined to be exempt 
from disclosure.
    (b) Computer searches for records. The Board will charge the actual 
direct cost of providing the service. This will include the cost of 
operating the central processing unit (CPU) for that portion of 
operating time that is directly attributable to searching for records 
responsive to a FOIA request and operator/programmer salary, plus 23.5 
percent, apportionable to the search. The Board may assess charges for 
time spent searching, even if the Board fails to locate the records or 
if records located are determined to be exempt from disclosure.
    (c) Duplication costs. (1) For copies of documents reproduced on a 
standard office copying machine in sizes up to 8\1/2\ x 14 inches, the 
charge will be $.15 per page.
    (2) The fee for reproducing copies of records over 8\1/2\ x 14 
inches, or whose physical characteristics do not permit reproduction by 
routine electrostatic copying, shall be the direct cost of reproducing 
the records through Government or commercial sources. If the Board 
estimates that the allowable duplication charges are likely to exceed 
$25, it shall notify the requester of the estimated amount of fees, 
unless the requester had indicated in advance his/her willingness to pay 
fees as those anticipated. Such a notice shall offer a requester the 
opportunity to confer with agency personnel with the objective of 
reformulating the request to meet his/her needs at a lower cost.
    (3) For copies prepared by computer, such as tapes or printouts, the 
Board shall charge the actual cost, including operator time, of 
producing the tape or printout. If the Board estimates that the 
allowable duplication charges are likely to exceed $25, it shall notify 
the requester of the estimated amount of fees, unless the requester has 
indicated in advance his/her willingness to pay fees as high as those 
anticipated. Such a notice shall offer a requester the opportunity to 
confer with agency personnel with the objective of reformulating the 
request to meet his/her needs at a lower cost.
    (4) For other methods of reproduction or duplication, the Board 
shall charge the actual direct costs of producing the document(s). If 
the Board estimates that the allowable duplication charges are likely to 
exceed $25, it shall notify the requester of the estimated amount of 
fees, unless the requester has indicated in advance his/her willingness 
to pay fees as high as those anticipated. Such a notice shall offer a 
requester the opportunity to confer with agency personnel with the 
objective of reformulating the request to meet his/her needs at a lower 
cost.
    (d) Interest may be charged to those requesters who fail to pay fees 
charged. The Board may begin assessing interest charges on the amount 
billed starting on the 31st calendar day following the day on which the 
billing was sent. Interest will be at the rate prescribed in section 
3717 of title 31 of the United States Code, and it will accrue from the 
date of the billing.
    (e) The Board shall use the most efficient and least costly methods 
to comply with requests for documents made under the FOIA. The Board may 
choose to contract with private sector services to locate, reproduce, 
and disseminate records in response to FOIA requests when that is the 
most efficient and least costly method. When documents responsive to a 
request are maintained for distribution by agencies operating statutory-
based fee schedule programs, such as, but not limited to, the Government 
Printing Office or the National Technical Information Service, the Board 
will inform requesters of the steps necessary to obtain records from 
those sources.

[55 FR 41052, Oct. 9, 1990, as amended at 63 FR 41709, Aug. 5, 1998]