29 C.F.R. § 1208.2 Production or disclosure of material or information.
Title 29 - Labor
(a) Requests for identifiable records and copies. (1) All requests for National Mediation Board records shall be filed in writing by mailing, faxing, or delivering the request to the Chief of Staff, National Mediation Board, Washington, DC 20572. (2) The request shall reasonably describe the records being sought in a manner which permits identification and location of the records. (i) If the description is insufficient to locate the records, the National Mediation Board will so notify the person making the request and indicate the additional information needed to identify the records requested. (ii) Every reasonable effort shall be made by the Board to assist in the identification and location of the records sought. (3) Upon receipt of a request for the records the Chief of Staff shall maintain records in reference thereto which shall include the date and time received, the name and address of the requester, the nature of the records requested, the action taken, the date the determination letter is sent to the requester, appeals and action thereon, the date any records are subsequently furnished the number of staff hours and grade levels of persons who spent time responding to the request, and the payment requested and received. (4) All time limitations established pursuant to this section with respect to processing initial requests and appeals shall commence at the time a written request for records is received at the Board's offices in Washington, DC. (i) An oral request for records shall not begin any time requirement. (ii) [Reserved] (b) Processing the initial request—(1) Time limitations. Within 20 working days (excepting Saturdays, Sundays, and working holidays) after a request for records is received, the Chief of Staff shall determine and inform the requester by letter whether or the extent to which the request will be complied with, unless an extension is taken under paragraph (b)(3) of this section. (2) Such reply letter shall include: (i) A reference to the specific exemption or exemptions under the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) authorizing the withholding of the record, a brief explanation of how the exemption applies to the record withheld. (ii) The name or names and positions of the person or persons, other than the Chief of Staff, responsible for the denial. (iii) A statement that the denial may be appealed within thirty days by writing to the Chairman, National Mediation Board, Washington, D. C. 20572, and that judicial review will thereafter be available in the district in which the requester resides, or has his principal place of business, or the district in which the agency records are situated, or the District of Columbia. (3) Extension of time. In unusual circumstances as specified in this paragraph, the Chief of Staff may extend the time for initial determination on requests up to a total of ten days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal public holidays). Extensions shall be granted in increments of five days or less and shall be made by written notice to the requester which sets forth the reason for the extension and the date on which a determination is expected to be dispatched. As used in this paragraph “unusual circumstances” means, but only to the extent necessary to the proper processing of the request: (i) The need to search for and collect the requested records from field facilities or other establishments that are separate from the office processing the request; (ii) 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 (iii) The need for consultation, which shall be conducted with all practicable speed, with another agency or another division having substantial interest in the determination of the request, or the need for consultation among two or more components of the agency having substantial subject matter interest therein. (4) Treatment of delay as a denial. If no determination has been dispatched at the end of the ten-day period, or the last extension thereof, the requester may deem his request denied, and exercise a right of appeal, in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section. When no determination can be dispatched within the applicable time limit, the responsible official shall nevertheless continue to process the request; on expiration of the time limit he shall inform the requester of the reason for the delay, of the date on which a determination may be expected to be dispatched, and of his right to treat the delay as a denial and to appeal to the Chairman of the Board in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section and he may ask the requester to forego appeal until a determination is made. (c) Appeals to the Chairman of the Board. (1) When a request for records has been denied in whole or in part by the Chief of Staff or other person authorized to deny requests, the requester may, within thirty days of its receipt, appeal the denial to the Chairman of the Board. Appeals to the Chairman shall be in writing, addressed to the Chairman, National Mediation Board, Washington, DC 20572. (2) The Chairman of the Board will act upon the appeal within twenty working days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal public holidays) of its receipt unless an extension is made under paragraph (c)(3) of this section. (3) In unusual circumstances as specified in this paragraph (c)(3), the time for action on an appeal may be extended up to ten days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal public holidays) minus any extension granted at the initial request level pursuant to paragraph (b)(3) of this section. Such extension shall be made written notice to the requester which sets forth the reason for the extension and the date on which a determination is expected to be dispatched. As used in this paragraph (c)(3) “unusual circumstances” means, but only to the extent necessary to the proper processing of the appeal: (i) The need to search for and collect the requested records from field facilities or other establishments that are separate from the office processing the request; (ii) 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 (iii) The need for consultation, which shall be conducted with all practicable speed, with another agency or another division having substantial interest in the determination of the request or the need for consultation among components of the agency having substantial subject matter interest therein. (4) Treatment of delay as a denial. If no determination on the appeal has been dispatched at the end of the twenty-day period or the last extension thereof, the requester is deemed to have exhausted his administrative remedies, giving rise to a right of review in a district court of the United States, as specified in 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(4). When no determination can be dispatched within the applicable time limit, the appeal will nevertheless continue to be processed; on expiration of the time limit the requester shall be informed of the reason for the delay, of the date on which a determination may be expected to be dispatched, and of his right to seek judicial review in the United States district court in the district in which he resides or has his principal place of business, the district in which the Board records are situated or the District of Columbia. The requester may be asked to forego judicial review until determination of the appeal. (d) Indexes of certain records. The National Mediation Board at its office in Washington, DC will maintain, make available for public inspection and copying, and publish quarterly (unless the Board determines by order published in the (1) A copy of such index shall be available at cost from the National Mediation Board, Washington, DC 20572. (2) [Reserved] [63 FR 44394, Aug. 19, 1998]
Title 29: Labor
PART 1208—AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION
§ 1208.2 Production or disclosure of material or information.
