(a) This part implements the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552, as amended, and prescribes rules governing the public availability of Department of Transportation (DOT) records.

(b) Subpart B of this part contains the DOT regulations concerning the public availability of:

(1) Records and indices that DOT is required to publish in the Federal Register pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(1) (described in § 7.11(a)); and

(2) Records and indices that DOT is required to make available to the public in a reading room without need for a specific request, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(2) (described in § 7.12(a)).

(c) Subpart C of this Part contains the DOT regulations concerning records that may be requested from DOT under the FOIA, namely, records that DOT is not required to publish in the Federal Register or make publicly available in a reading room under 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(2)(A), (B), (C), and (E) and frequently requested records even if DOT has made them publicly available as required under 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(2)(D). Because DOT and its components make many of these records available on their Web pages (http://www.dot.gov or http://www.dot.gov/foia), requesters may find it preferable to obtain such records directly from the Web pages instead of submitting a FOIA request, if the Web pages contain records that meet their needs.

(d) Subpart D of this part contains the DOT regulations concerning time limits applicable to processing requests for records under subpart C.

(e) Subpart E of this part contains the DOT regulations concerning processing fees applicable to records made available under subpart B or requested under subpart C.

Unless the context requires otherwise, the following definitions apply in this part:

Act and FOIA mean the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552, as amended.

Administrator means the head of each Operating Administration.

Components—see the definition of Department in this section.

Concurrence means that the approval of the individual being consulted is required in order for the subject action to be taken.

Confidential commercial information means trade secrets and confidential, privileged, and/or proprietary business or financial information submitted to DOT by any person.

Consultation has its ordinary meaning; the approval of the individual being consulted is not required in order for the subject action to be taken.

Department or DOT means the Department of Transportation, including the Office of the Secretary, the Office of Inspector General, and all DOT Operating Administrations, any of which may be referred to as a DOT component.

First-party request means a request by an individual for records pertaining to that individual.

Hourly rate means the actual hourly base pay for a civilian employee.

Operating Administration means one of the following components of the Department:

(1) Federal Aviation Administration;

(2) Federal Highway Administration;

(3) Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration;

(4) Federal Railroad Administration;

(5) Federal Transit Administration;

(6) Maritime Administration;

(7) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration;

(8) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration; and

(9) Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation.

Reading room records are those records required to be made available to the public without a specific request under 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(2), as described in § 7.12.

Record includes any writing, drawing, map, recording, diskette, DVD, CD-ROM, tape, film, photograph, or other documentary material, regardless of medium, by which information is preserved. The term also includes any such documentary material stored electronically by computer.

Redact means delete or mark over.

Representative of the news media means any person or entity that gathers information of potential interest to a segment of the public, uses its editorial skills to turn the raw materials into a distinct work, and distributes that work to an audience. “News” means information that is about current events or that would be of current interest to the public.

Responsible DOT official means the head of the DOT Operating Administration concerned, or the General Counsel or the Inspector General, as the case may be, or the designee of any of them authorized to take an action under this Part.

Secretary means the Secretary of Transportation or any individual to whom the Secretary has delegated authority in the matter concerned.

Toll means temporarily stop the running of a time limit.

[79 FR 16209, Mar. 25, 2014, as amended at 82 FR 21139, May 5, 2017]