(a) Purpose. This subpart sets forth the standards, policies, and procedures that the OCC applies in administering the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 U.S.C. 552) to facilitate the OCC's interaction with the banking and savings association industries and the public.

(b) Scope. (1) This subpart describes the information that the FOIA requires the OCC to disclose to the public (§ 4.12), and the three methods by which the OCC discloses that information under the FOIA (§§ 4.13, 4.14, and 4.15).

(2) This subpart also sets forth predisclosure notice procedures that the OCC follows, in accordance with Executive Order 12600 (3 CFR, 1987 Comp., p. 235), when the OCC receives a request under § 4.15 for disclosure of records that arguably are exempt from disclosure as confidential commercial information (§ 4.16). Finally, this subpart describes the fees that the OCC assesses for the services it renders in providing information under the FOIA (§ 4.17).

(3) This subpart does not apply to a request for records pursuant to the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a). A person requesting records from the OCC pursuant to the Privacy Act should refer to 31 CFR part 1, subpart C, and appendix J of subpart C.

[60 FR 57322, Nov. 15, 1995, as amended at 76 FR 43561, July 21, 2011; 81 FR 94244, Dec. 23, 2016]

(a) General. Except as otherwise provided by the FOIA, OCC and Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) records are available to the public.

(b) Exemptions from availability. The following records, or portions thereof, are exempt from disclosure under the FOIA:

(1) A record that is specifically authorized, under criteria established by an Executive order, to be kept secret in the interest of national defense or foreign policy, and that is properly classified pursuant to that Executive order;

(2) A record relating solely to the internal personnel rules and practices of an agency;

(3) A record specifically exempted from disclosure by statute (other than 5 U.S.C. 552b), provided that the statute requires that the matters be withheld from the public in such a manner as to leave no discretion on the issue; establishes particular criteria for withholding, or refers to particular types of matters to be withheld; and, if enacted after the date of enactment of the OPEN FOIA Act of 2009, specifically cites to 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(3);

(4) A record that is privileged or contains trade secrets, or commercial or financial information, furnished in confidence, that relates to the business, personal, or financial affairs of any person (see § 4.16 for notice requirements regarding disclosure of confidential commercial information);

(5) An intra-agency or interagency memorandum or letter not routinely available by law to a private party in litigation, including memoranda, reports, and other documents prepared by OCC employees, and records of deliberations and discussions at meetings of OCC employees, provided that the deliberative process privilege shall not apply to records created 25 years or more before the date on which the records were requested;

(6) A personnel, medical, or similar record, including a financial record, or any portion thereof, where disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy;

(7) A record or information compiled for law enforcement purposes, but only to the extent that the OCC reasonably believes that producing the record or information may:

(i) Interfere with enforcement proceedings;

(ii) Deprive a person of the right to a fair trial or an impartial adjudication;

(iii) Constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy;

(iv) Disclose the identity of a confidential source, including a State, local, or foreign agency or authority, or any private institution that furnished information on a confidential basis;

(v) Disclose information furnished by a confidential source, in the case of a record or information compiled by a criminal law enforcement authority in the course of a criminal investigation, or by an agency conducting a lawful national security intelligence investigation;

(vi) Disclose techniques and procedures for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions, or disclose guidelines for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions if such disclosure reasonably could be expected to risk circumvention of the law; or

(vii) Endanger the life or physical safety of any individual;

(8) A record contained in or related to an examination, operating, or condition report prepared by, on behalf of, or for the use of the OCC or any other agency responsible for regulating or supervising financial institutions; and

(9) A record containing or relating to geological and geophysical information and data, including maps, concerning wells.

(c) Discretionary disclosure of exempt records. Even if a record is exempt under paragraph (b) of this section, the OCC may elect, on a case-by-case basis, not to apply the exemption to the requested record. The OCC's election not to apply an exemption to a requested record has no precedential significance as to the application or nonapplication of the exemption to any other requested record, regardless of who requests the record or when the OCC receives the request. The OCC will provide predisclosure notice to submitters of confidential commercial information in accordance with § 4.16.

(d) Segregability. If the OCC determines that full disclosure of a requested record is not possible, the OCC considers whether partial disclosure of information is possible and takes reasonable steps necessary to segregate and release nonexempt information. The OCC will note the location and extent of any deletion, and identify the FOIA exemption under which material has been deleted, on the released portion of the material, unless doing so would harm an interest protected by the exemption under paragraph (b) of this section pursuant to which the deletion was made. Where technically feasible, the amount of information redacted and the exemption pursuant to which the redaction was made will be indicated at the site(s) of the deletion.

[60 FR 57322, Nov. 15, 1995, as amended at 75 FR 17850, Apr. 8, 2010; 76 FR 43561, July 21, 2011; 81 FR 94244, Dec. 23, 2016]

The OCC publishes certain documents in the Federal Register for the guidance of the public, including the following:

(a) Proposed and final rules; and

(b) Certain notices and policy statements of concern to the general public.

(a) Available information. Subject to the exemptions listed in § 4.12(b), the OCC makes the following information available for public inspection in an electronic format:

(1) Any final order, agreement, or other enforceable document issued in the adjudication of an OCC enforcement case, including a final order published pursuant to 12 U.S.C. 1818(u);

(2) Any final opinion issued in the adjudication of an OCC enforcement case;

(3) Any statement of general policy or interpretation of general applicability not published in the Federal Register;

(4) Any administrative staff manual or instruction to staff that may affect a member of the public as such;

(5) A current index identifying the information referred to in paragraphs (a)(1) through (a)(4) of this section issued, adopted, or promulgated after July 4, 1967;

(6) A list of available OCC publications;

(7) A list of forms available from the OCC, and specific forms and instructions; 1

1 Some forms and instructions that national banks and Federal savings associations use are not available from the OCC. The OCC will provide information on where persons may obtain these forms and instructions upon request.

(8) Any public Community Reinvestment Act performance evaluation;

(9) Any public securities-related filing required under part 11 or 16 of this chapter;

(10) Any public comment letter regarding a proposed rule;

(11) Any records, regardless of form or format, that have been released to any person under 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(3) provided that:

(i) The OCC determines that, because of the nature of their subject matter, the records are or are likely to become the subject of subsequent requests for substantially the same records; or

(ii) The records have been requested three or more times;

(12) Reference materials or a guide for requesting records or information from the OCC, including an index of all major OCC information systems, a description of major information and record locator systems maintained by the OCC, and a handbook for obtaining various types and categories of public information from the OCC pursuant to FOIA and chapter 35 of title 44;

(13) The public file (as defined in 12 CFR 5.9) with respect to a pending application described in part 5 of this chapter; and

(14) Any OTS information similar to that listed in paragraphs (a)(1) through (a)(13) of this section, to the extent this information is in the possession of the OCC.

(b) Redaction of identifying details. To the extent necessary to prevent an invasion of personal privacy, the OCC may redact identifying details from any information described in paragraph (a) of this section before making the information available for public inspection in an electronic format.

(c) Addresses. The information described in paragraphs (a)(1) through (14) of this section is available from the Chief FOIA Officer, Communications Division, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, 400 7th Street SW., Washington, DC 20219. The information described in paragraph (a)(13) of this section in the case of both national banks and Federal savings associations is available from the Licensing Manager at the appropriate district office at the address listed in § 4.5(a), or in the case of national banks and Federal savings associations supervised by the Large Bank Supervision Department, from the Large Bank Licensing Expert, Licensing Division, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, 400 7th Street SW., Washington, DC 20219.

[60 FR 57322, Nov. 15, 1995, as amended at 76 FR 43561, July 21, 2011; 79 FR 15641, Mar. 21, 2014; 81 FR 94244, Dec. 23, 2016; 85 FR 42640, July 14, 2020]

(a) Available information. Subject to the exemptions described in § 4.12(b), any OCC record is available to any person upon specific request in accordance with this section.

(b) Where to submit request or appeal—(1) General. Except as provided in paragraph (b)(2) of this section, a person requesting a record or filing an administrative appeal must submit the request or appeal:

(i) Through the OCC's FOIA Web portal at https://foia-pal.occ.gov/palMain.aspx;

(ii) Through the consolidated online request portal maintained by the Office of Management and Budget pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(m)(1); or

(iii) Under this section to the Chief FOIA Officer, Communications Division, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, 400 7th Street SW., Washington, DC 20219.

(2) Exceptions—(i) Records at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. A person requesting any of the following records, other than blank forms (see § 4.14(a)(7)), must submit the request to the FDIC, Legal Division, FOIA/PA Group, 550-17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20429, or fax to (703) 562-2797:

(A) Consolidated Report of Condition and Income (FFIEC 031, 032, 033, 034);

(B) Annual Report of Trust Assets (FFIEC 001);

(C) Uniform Bank Performance Report; and

(D) Special Report.

(ii) Records of another agency. When the OCC receives a request for records in its possession that another Federal agency either generated or provided to the OCC, the OCC promptly informs the requester and immediately forwards the request to that agency for processing in accordance with that agency's regulations.

(c) Request for records—(1) Contact information and what the request for records must include. A person requesting records under this section must state, in writing:

(i) The requester's full name, address, telephone number and, at the requester's option, electronic mail address.

(ii) A reasonable description of the records sought (including sufficient detail to enable OCC employees who are familiar with the subject matter of the request to locate the records with a reasonable amount of effort);

(iii) A statement agreeing to pay all fees that the OCC assesses under § 4.17;

(iv) A description of how the requester intends to use the records, if a requester seeks placement in a lower fee category (i.e., a fee category other than “commercial use requester”) under § 4.17; and

(v) Whether the requester prefers the OCC to deliver a copy of the records or to allow the requester to inspect the records at the appropriate OCC office.

(2) Initial determination. The Comptroller or the Comptroller's delegate initially determines whether to grant a request for OCC records and notifies the requester, in accordance with the time limits set forth in paragraph (f) of this section, of the determination and the reasons therefore and of the right to seek assistance from the OCC's FOIA Public Liaison.

(3) If request is granted. If the OCC grants a request for records, in whole or in part, the OCC promptly discloses the records in one of two ways, depending on the requester's stated preference:

(i) The OCC may deliver a copy of the records to the requester. If the OCC delivers a copy of the records to the requester, the OCC duplicates the records at reasonable and proper times that do not interfere with their use by the OCC or preclude other persons from making inspections; or

(ii) The OCC may allow the requester to inspect the records at reasonable and proper times that do not interfere with their use by the OCC or preclude other persons from making inspections. If the OCC allows the requester to inspect the records, the OCC may place a reasonable limit on the number of records that a person may inspect during a day.

(4) If request is denied. If the OCC denies a request for records, in whole or in part, the OCC will notify the requester in writing. The notification is dated and contains a brief statement of the reasons for the denial, sets forth the name and title or position of the official making the decision, advises the requester of the right to seek dispute resolution services from the OCC's FOIA Public Liaison or the Office of Government Information Services, and advises the requester of the right to appeal to the Comptroller of the Currency in accordance with paragraph (d) of this section.

(d) Administrative appeal of a denial—(1) Procedure. A requester must submit an administrative appeal of denial of a request for records in writing within 90 days after the date of the initial determination. The appeal must include the circumstances and arguments supporting disclosure of the requested records.

(2) Appellate determination. The Comptroller or the Comptroller's delegate determines whether to grant an appeal of a denial of a request for OCC records.

(3) If appeal is granted. If the OCC grants an appeal, in whole or in part, the OCC treats the request as if it were originally granted, in whole or in part, by the OCC in accordance with paragraph (c)(3) of this section.

(4) If appeal is denied. If the OCC denies an appeal, in whole or in part, the OCC notifies the requester in writing. The notification contains a brief statement of the reasons for the denial, sets forth the name and title or position of the official making the decision, and advises the requester of the right to judicial review of the denial under 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(4)(B).

(e) Judicial review—(1) General. If the OCC denies an appeal pursuant to paragraph (d) of this section, or if the OCC fails to make a determination within the time limits specified in paragraph (f) of this section, the requester may commence an action to compel disclosure of records, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(4)(B), in the United States district court in:

(i) The district where the requester resides;

(ii) The district where the requester's principal place of business is located;

(iii) The district where the records are located; or

(iv) The District of Columbia.

(2) Service of process. In commencing an action described in paragraph (e)(1) of this section, the requester, in addition to complying with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (28 U.S.C. appendix) for service upon the United States or agencies thereof, must serve process on the Chief Counsel or the Chief Counsel's delegate at the following location: Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, 400 7th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20219.

(f) Time limits for responding to FOIA requests. (1) The OCC makes an initial determination to grant or deny a request for records within 20 days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays) after the date of receipt of the request, as described in paragraph (g) of this section, except as stated in paragraph (f)(3) of this section.

(2) Appeal. The OCC makes a determination to grant or deny an administrative appeal within 20 business days after the date of receipt of the appeal, as described in paragraph (g) of this section, except as stated in paragraph (f)(3) of this section.

(3) Extension of time. The time limits set forth in paragraphs (f)(1) and (2) of this section may be extended as follows:

(i) In unusual circumstances. The OCC may extend the time limits in unusual circumstances for a maximum of 10 business days. If the OCC extends the time limits, the OCC provides written notice to the person making the request or appeal, containing the reason for the extension and the date on which the OCC expects to make a determination. Unusual circumstances exist when the OCC requires additional time to:

(A) Search for and collect the requested records from field facilities or other buildings that are separate from the office processing the request or appeal;

(B) Search for, collect, and appropriately examine a voluminous amount of requested records;

(C) Consult with another agency that has a substantial interest in the determination of the request; or

(D) Allow two or more components of the OCC that have substantial interest in the determination of the request to consult with each other;

(ii) By agreement. A requester may agree to extend the time limits for any amount of time;

(iii) By judicial action. If a requester commences an action pursuant to paragraph (e) of this section for failure to comply with the time limits set forth in this paragraph (f), a court with jurisdiction may, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(6)(C), allow the OCC additional time to complete the review of the records requested, or

(iv) Tolling of time limits. (A) The OCC may toll the 20-day time period to:

(1) Make one request for additional information from the requester; or

(2) Clarify the applicability or amount of any fees, if necessary, with the requester.

(B) The tolling period ends upon the OCC's receipt of requested information from the requester or resolution of the fee issue.

(4) Requests that require more than a 10-day extension to process. If the OCC determines unusual circumstances apply to a request for records, and the OCC determines it cannot respond to the request within the 10-day extension set forth in paragraph (f)(3)(i) of this section, the OCC will:

(i) Notify the requester that the request cannot be processed within the time limit set forth in paragraph (f)(3)(i) of this section;

(ii) Provide the requester with an opportunity to limit the scope of the request so that it may be processed within that 10-day period or to arrange with the OCC an alternative time frame for processing the request or a modified request;

(iii) Make available the FOIA Public Liaison, who shall assist in the resolution of any disputes between the requester and the OCC; and

(iv) Notify the requester of the right of the requester to seek dispute resolution services from the Office of Government Information Services.

(g) Date of receipt of request or appeal. The date of receipt of a request for records or an appeal is the date that Disclosure Services, Communications Division receives a request that satisfies the requirements of paragraph (c)(1) or (d)(1) of this section, except as provided in § 4.17(d).

(h) Dispute resolution services. Requesters with concerns about the handling of their FOIA requests may contact the FOIA Public Liaison or the Office of Government Information Services for dispute resolution services.

(1) To apply for dispute resolution assistance from the FOIA Public Liaison, requesters should submit a written request to the FOIA Public Liaison, Communications Division, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, 400 7th Street SW., Washington, DC 20219.

(2) For dispute resolution services through the Office of Government Services, requesters should contact the Office of Government Services as set forth at 36 CFR 1250.32.

[60 FR 57322, Nov. 15, 1995, as amended at 75 FR 17850, Apr. 8, 2010; 76 FR 43562, July 21, 2011; 79 FR 15641, Mar. 21, 2014; 81 FR 94245, Dec. 23, 2016]

(a) Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) Confidential commercial information means records that arguably contain material exempt from release under Exemption 4 of the FOIA (5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4); § 4.12(b)(4)), because disclosure reasonably could cause substantial competitive harm to the submitter.

(2) Submitter means any person or entity that provides confidential commercial information to the OCC. This term includes corporations, State governments, foreign governments, and banks and their employees, officers, directors, and principal shareholders.

(b) Notice to submitter—(1) When provided. In accordance with Executive Order 12600 (3 CFR, 1987 Comp., p. 235), when the OCC receives a request under § 4.15(c) or, where appropriate, an appeal under § 4.15(d) for disclosure of confidential commercial information, the OCC provides a submitter with prompt written notice of the receipt of that request (except as provided in paragraph (b)(2) of this section) in the following circumstances:

(i) With respect to confidential commercial information submitted to the OCC or to the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, the predecessor of the OTS, prior to January 1, 1988, if:

(A) The records are less than 10 years old and the submitter designated the information as confidential commercial information;

(B) The OCC reasonably believes that disclosure of the information may cause substantial competitive harm to the submitter; or

(C) The information is subject to a prior express commitment of confidentiality from the OCC or the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, the predecessor of the OTS; and

(ii) With respect to confidential commercial information submitted to the OCC or to the OTS (or the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, its predecessor agency) on or after January 1, 1988, if:

(A) The submitter in good faith designated the information as confidential commercial information;

(B) The OCC or the OTS (or the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, its predecessor agency) designated the class of information to which the requested information belongs as confidential commercial information; or

(C) The OCC reasonably believes that disclosure of the information may cause substantial competitive harm to the submitter.

(2) Exceptions. The OCC generally does not provide notice under paragraph (b)(1) of this section if the OCC determines that:

(i) It will not disclose the information;

(ii) The information already has been disclosed officially to the public;

(iii) The OCC is required by law (other than 5 U.S.C. 552) to disclose the information;

(iv) The OCC or the OTS (or the Federal Home Loan Bank Board, its predecessor agency) acquired the information in the course of a lawful investigation of a possible violation of criminal law;

(v) The submitter had an opportunity to designate the requested information as confidential commercial information at the time of submission of the information or a reasonable time thereafter and did not do so, unless the OCC has substantial reason to believe that disclosure of the information would result in competitive harm; or

(vi) The OCC determines that the submitter's designation under paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(A) of this section is frivolous; in such case, however, the OCC will provide the submitter with written notice of any final administrative determination to disclose the information at least 10 business days prior to the date that the OCC intends to disclose the information.

(3) Content of notice. The OCC either describes in the notice the exact nature of the confidential commercial information requested or includes with the notice copies of the records or portions of records containing that information.

(4) Expiration of notice period. The OCC provides notice under this paragraph (b) with respect to information that the submitter designated under paragraph (b)(1)(ii)(A) of this section only for a period of 10 years after the date of the submitter's designation, unless the submitter requests and justifies to the OCC's satisfaction a specific notice period of greater duration.

(5) Certification of confidentiality. If possible, the submitter should support the claim of confidentiality with a statement or certification that the requested information is confidential commercial information that the submitter has not disclosed to the public. This statement should be prepared by an officer or authorized representative if the submitter is a corporation or other entity.

(c) Notice to requester. If the OCC provides notice to a submitter under paragraph (b) of this section, the OCC notifies the person requesting confidential commercial information (requester) that it has provided notice to the submitter. The OCC also advises the requester that if there is a delay in its decision whether to grant or deny access to the information sought, the delay may be considered a denial of access to the information, and that the requester may proceed with an administrative appeal or seek judicial review. However, the requester may agree to a voluntary extension of time to allow the OCC to review the submitter's objection to disclosure (see § 4.15(f)(3)(ii)).

(d) Opportunity to object to disclosure. Within 10 days after receiving notice under paragraph (b) of this section, the submitter may provide the OCC with a detailed statement of objection to disclosure of the information. That statement must specify the grounds for withholding any of the information under any exemption of the FOIA. Any statement that the submitter provides under this paragraph (d) may be subject to disclosure under the FOIA.

(e) Notice of intent to disclose. The OCC considers carefully a submitter's objection and specific grounds for nondisclosure prior to determining whether to disclose the requested information. If the OCC decides to disclose information over the objection of the submitter, the OCC provides to the submitter, with a copy to the requester, a written notice that includes:

(1) A statement of the OCC's reasons for not sustaining the submitter's objections to disclosure;

(2) A description of the information to be disclosed;

(3) The anticipated disclosure date, which is not less than 10 business days after the OCC mails the written notice required under this paragraph (e); and

(4) A statement that the submitter must notify the OCC immediately if the submitter intends to seek injunctive relief.

(f) Notice of requester's lawsuit. Whenever the OCC receives service of process indicating that a requester has brought suit seeking to compel the OCC to disclose information covered by paragraph (b)(1) of this section, the OCC promptly notifies the submitter.

[60 FR 57322, Nov. 15, 1995, as amended at 76 FR 43561, July 21, 2011]

(a) Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) Actual costs means those expenditures that the OCC incurs in providing services (including searching for, reviewing, and duplicating records) in response to a request for records under § 4.15.

(2) Search means the process of locating a record in response to a request, including page-by-page or line-by-line identification of material within a record. The OCC may perform a search manually or by electronic means.

(3) Review means the process of examining a record located in response to a request to determine which portions of that record should be released. It also includes processing a record for disclosure.

(4) Duplication means the process of copying a record in response to a request. A copy may take the form of a paper copy, microform, audiovisual materials, or machine readable material (e.g., magnetic tape or disk), among others.

(5) Commercial use requester means a person who seeks records for a use or purpose that furthers the commercial, trade, or profit interests of the requester or the person on whose behalf the request is made.

(6) Educational institution requester means a person who seeks records on behalf of a public or private educational institution, including a preschool, an elementary or secondary school, an institution of undergraduate or graduate higher education, an institution of professional education, or an institution of vocational education that operates a program of scholarly research.

(7) Noncommercial scientific institution requester means a person who is not a “commercial use requester,” as that term is defined in paragraph (a)(5) of this section, and who seeks records on behalf of an institution operated solely for the purpose of conducting scientific research, the results of which are not intended to promote any particular product or industry.

(8) Requester who is a representative of the news media means any person who, or entity that, gathers information of potential interest to a segment of the public, uses editorial skills to turn the raw materials into a distinct work, and distributes that work to an audience. A freelance journalist shall be regarded as working for a news media entity if the person can demonstrate a solid basis for expecting publication through that entity, whether or not the journalist is actually employed by that entity. A publication contract is one example of a basis for expecting publication that ordinarily would satisfy this standard. The OCC also may consider the past publication record of the requester in determining whether she or he qualifies as a “representative of the news media.”

(b) Fees—(1) General. The hourly and per page rate that the OCC generally charges requesters is set forth in the “Notice of Comptroller of the Currency Fees” (Notice) described in 12 CFR 8.8. Any interested person may request a copy of the Notice from the OCC by mail or may obtain a copy at the location described in § 4.14(c). The OCC may contract with a commercial service to search for, duplicate, or disseminate records, provided that the OCC determines that the fee assessed upon a requester is no greater than if the OCC performed the tasks itself. The OCC does not contract out responsibilities that the FOIA provides that the OCC alone may discharge, such as determining the applicability of an exemption or whether to waive or reduce a fee.

(2) Fee categories. The OCC assesses a fee based on the fee category in which the OCC places the requester. If the request states how the requester intends to use the requested records (see § 4.15(c)(1)(iv)), the OCC may place the requester in a lower fee category; otherwise, the OCC categorizes the requester as a “commercial use requester.” If the OCC reasonably doubts the requester's stated intended use, or if that use is not clear from the request, the OCC may place the requester in the “commercial use” category or may seek additional clarification. The fee categories are as follows:

(i) Commercial use requesters. The OCC assesses a fee for a requester in this category for the actual cost of search, review, and duplication. A requester in this category does not receive any free search, review, or duplication services.

(ii) Educational institution requesters, noncommercial scientific institution requesters, and requesters who are representatives of the news media. The OCC assesses a fee for a requester in this category for the actual cost of duplication. A requester in this category receives 100 free pages.

(iii) All other requesters. The OCC assesses a fee for a requester who does not fit into either of the above categories for the actual cost of search and duplication. A requester in this category receives 100 free pages and two hours of free search time.

(3) Special services. The OCC may, in its discretion, accommodate a request for special services. The OCC may recover the actual cost of providing any special services.

(4) Waiving or reducing a fee. The OCC may waive or reduce a fee under this section whenever, in its opinion, disclosure of records is in the public interest because the disclosure:

(i) Is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations or activities of the government; and

(ii) Is not primarily in the commercial interest of the requester.

(5) Fee for unsuccessful search. The OCC may assess a fee for time spent searching for records, even if the OCC does not locate the records requested.

(6) No fee if the time limit passes and the OCC has not responded to the request. The OCC will not assess search or duplication fees, as applicable, if it fails to respond to a requester's FOIA request within the time limits specified under 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(6) and 12 CFR 4.15(f), except as follows:

(i) Unusual circumstances—(A) General. If the OCC has determined that unusual circumstances (as defined in 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(6)(B) and § 4.15(f)(3)(i)) apply and the OCC provides timely written notice to the requester in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(6)(B), the OCC may assess search or duplication fees, as applicable, for an additional 10 days. If the OCC fails to comply with the extended time limit, the OCC will not assess any search or duplication fees, as applicable.

(B) Voluminous Requests. Notwithstanding paragraph (b)(6)(i)(A) of this section, if the OCC has determined that unusual circumstances (as defined in 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(6)(B) and § 4.15(f)(3)(i)) apply and more than 5,000 pages are necessary to respond to the request, the OCC may assess search or duplication fees, as appropriate, if the OCC provides a timely written notice to the requester in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(6)(B) and discusses with the requester via written mail, electronic mail, or telephone (or makes not less than three good-faith attempts to do so) how the requester could effectively limit the scope of the request in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(6)(B)(ii).

(ii) In exceptional circumstances. If a court has determined that exceptional circumstances (as defined in 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(6)(C)) apply to the processing of a request, the OCC may assess search or duplication fees, as applicable, for the length of time provided by the court order.

(c) Payment of fees—(1) General. The OCC generally assesses a fee when it delivers the records in response to the request, if any. A requester must send payment within 30 calendar days of the billing date to the Financial Management, Accounts Receivable, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, 400 7th Street SW., Washington, DC 20219.

(2) Fee likely to exceed $25. If the OCC estimates that a fee is likely to exceed $25, the OCC notifies the requester of the estimated fee, unless the requester has indicated in advance a willingness to pay a fee as high as the estimated fee. If so notified by the OCC, the requester may confer with OCC employees to revise the request to reflect a lower fee.

(3) Fee likely to exceed $250. If the OCC estimates that a fee is likely to exceed $250, the OCC notifies the requester of the estimated fee. In this circumstance, the OCC may require, as a condition to processing the request, that the requester:

(i) Provide satisfactory assurance of full payment, if the requester has a history of prompt payment; or

(ii) Pay the estimated fee in full, if the requester does not have a history of prompt payment.

(4) Failure to pay a fee. If the requester fails to pay a fee within 30 days of the date of the billing, the OCC may require, as a condition to processing any further request, that the requester pay any unpaid fee, plus interest (as provided in paragraph (c)(5) of this section), and any estimated fee in full for that further request.

(5) Interest on unpaid fee. The OCC may assess interest charges on an unpaid fee beginning on the 31st day following the billing date. The OCC charges interest at the rate prescribed in 31 U.S.C. 3717.

(d) Tolling of time limits. Under the circumstances described in paragraphs (c) (2), (3), and (4) of this section, the time limits set forth in § 4.15(f) (i.e., 20 business days from the receipt of a request for records and 20 business days from the receipt of an administrative appeal, plus any permissible extension) begin only after the OCC receives a revised request under paragraph (c)(2) of this section, an assurance of payment under paragraph (c)(3)(i) of this section, or the required payments under paragraph (c)(3)(i) or (c)(4) of this section.

(e) Aggregating requests. When the OCC reasonably believes that a requester or group of requesters is attempting to break a request into a series of requests for the purpose of evading the assessment of a fee, the OCC may aggregate the requests and assess a fee accordingly.

[60 FR 57322, Nov. 15, 1995, as amended at 75 FR 17850, Apr. 8, 2010; 79 FR 15641, Mar. 21, 2014; 81 FR 94245, Dec. 23, 2016]

(a) Tracking number—(1) Internet requests. The OCC will issue a tracking number to all FOIA requesters automatically upon receipt of the request (as described in § 4.15(g)) by the OCC's Communications Division via the OCC's Freedom of Information Request Portal, https://foia-pal.occ.gov/palMain.aspx. The tracking number will be sent via electronic mail to the requester.

(2) If a requester does not have Internet access. The OCC will issue a tracking number to FOIA requesters without Internet access within 5 days of the receipt of the request (as described in § 4.15(g)) in the OCC's Communications Division. The OCC will mail the tracking number to the requester's physical address, as provided in the FOIA request.

(b) Status of request. FOIA requesters may track the progress of their requests via the OCC's Freedom of Information Request Portal, https://foia-pal.occ.gov/palMain.aspx. Requesters without Internet access may continue to contact the Chief FOIA Officer, Communications Division, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, at (202) 649-6700 to check the status of their FOIA request(s).

[76 FR 43562, July 21, 2011, as amended at 79 FR 15641, Mar. 21, 2014; 80 FR 28414, May 18, 2015; 81 FR 94246, Dec. 23, 2016]