(a) Subparts A through I of this part contain the rules that the Department follows in processing records under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552.

(b) Definitions of terms used in Subparts A through I of this part are found at § 2.70.

(c) Subparts A through I of this part should be read in conjunction with the text of the FOIA and the OMB Fee Guidelines.

(d) The Department's FOIA Handbook and its attachments contain detailed information about Department procedures for making FOIA requests and descriptions of the types of records maintained by different Department bureaus or offices. This resource is available at https://www.doi.gov/foia/news/guidance.

(e) The Department's regulations for requests made under the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a, are located at subpart K of this part.

(f) Part 2 does not entitle any person to any service or to the disclosure of any record that is not required under the FOIA.

(g) Before you file a FOIA request, you are encouraged to review the Department's electronic FOIA libraries at http://www.doi.gov/foia/libraries. The material you seek may be immediately available electronically at no cost.

[77 FR 76902, Dec. 31, 2012, as amended at 81 FR 11127, Mar. 3, 2016]

Subparts A through I of this part do not apply to records that fall under the law enforcement exclusions in 5 U.S.C. 552(c)(1)-(3). These exclusions may be used only in the limited circumstances delineated by the statute and require both prior approval from the Deputy Chief FOIA Officer and the recording of their use and approval process.

[77 FR 76902, Dec. 31, 2012, as amended at 84 FR 61826, Nov. 14, 2019]