[Title 32 CFR 806.15]
[Code of Federal Regulations (annual edition) - July 1, 1997 Edition]
[Title 32 - NATIONAL DEFENSE]
[Subtitle A - Department of Defense (Continued)]
[Chapter VII - DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE]
[Subchapter A - ADMINISTRATION]
[Part 806 - AIR FORCE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT PROGRAM]
[Sec. 806.15 - Processing FOIA requests.]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]




  32
  NATIONAL DEFENSE
  6
  1997-07-01
  false
  1997-07-01
  
  
  
  
    NATIONAL DEFENSE
    Department of Defense (Continued)
    DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE
    ADMINISTRATION
    AIR FORCE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT PROGRAM
  


Sec. 806.15  Processing FOIA requests.

    All FOIA offices use the FOIA system to track and manage FOIA 
requests. AFM 4-196 is the FOIA System End Users Manual.
    (a) After receiving a FOIA request, the FOIA manager:
    (1) Records the date and time of receiving the request, logs the 
request in the FOIA system and sets a suspense date. For more than 10 
FOIA requests, sets up a first-in, first-out system to process the 
requests in the order received.
    (2) Considers a request received when the FOIA office responsible 
for processing the request receives it; and when the requester states a 
willingness to pay fees set for his or her category (see Sec. 806.17), 
has paid past FOIA debts, and has reasonably described the requested 
records.
    (3) Determines the fee according to the requester's category, writes 
to requesters who have not made arrangements to pay for the information 
and whose fees are more than $15, telling them the category and cost of 
the request.
    (4) Answers fee waiver requests before processing. Asks for more 
justification, if needed to make a good decision. Do not consider this 
notice a denial.
    (5) Attaches DD Form 2086, Record of Freedom of Information (FOI) 
Processing Cost, or DD 2086-1, Record of Freedom of Information (FOI) 
Processing Cost for Technical Data, to each request. The OPR must 
complete and return this form to the FOIA office. These forms give the 
fees for charging, if any, and processing costs you use to prepare the 
FOIA annual report.
    (6) Writes the requester to acknowledge receipt of the request if 
the date or postmark (whichever is later) is more than 10 workdays ago 
and informs the requester of any unusual problems.
    (7) Tells the requester if the record is not sufficiently described 
and asks for more information. If possible, offers to help the requester 
identify the requested records and tells what kind of information makes 
searching for a record easier.
    (8) Sends the request to the OPR who searches for the record and 
decides whether to release it.
    (9) Sends classified records with no OPR or functional equivalent to 
SAF/AAIS, through the MAJCOM or FOA FOIA office, for HQ USAF/SP review. 
Telephones SAF/AAIS before sending the records.
    (10) Tells the requester in a letter sent within 10 workdays after 
receiving the request of the final decision to release or deny the 
records.
    (11) When answering requests for lists of names and duty addresses, 
tells requesters as early as possible about the mass mailing 
restrictions outlined in AFI 37-125, Official Mail, Small Parcel and 
Distribution Management (formerly AFR 4-50).
    (12) Grants 10 additional workdays for one or more of three reasons:
    (i) All or part of the requested records are not at the installation 
processing the request.
    (ii) Fulfilling the request means collecting and reviewing an 
enormous number of records.
    (iii) Other Air Fore activities or other agencies need to be 
involved in deciding whether to release the records.
    (13) Sends the requester a letter within 10 workdays, giving the 
reason for the delay and a date (within 20 workdays after receiving the 
request) when the requester can expect a final decision.
    (14) Records extensions and reasons for them in the FOIA system.

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    (15) Coordinates with the public affairs office if the requested 
records are potentially newsworthy or if the news media sent the 
request.
    (16) Sends releasable records to requesters with a bill (if 
appropriate).
    (17) Sends a request the OPR wants to deny through the MAJCOM or FOA 
FOIA office to the denial authority for a decision. The package must 
include:
    (i) The request.
    (ii) A copy of the requested records.
    (iii) The OPR's and SJA's written recommendations.
    (iv) The exemption cited.
    (v) The reason for denial.
    (b) The OPR locates the information and recommends its release. In 
cases where several OPRs have functional responsibility for the 
information, the primary OPR is the one responsible for most of the 
information in the document. The OPR:
    (1) Works with the offices of collateral responsibility (OCR) inside 
and outside the Air Force, considers the opinions and information they 
provide, and makes the final release decision.
    (2) Forwards records that need coordination with other Air Force 
functional areas and outside agencies to the MAJCOM or FOA FOIA office, 
which sends them to the appropriate FOI office for review and return for 
final decision.
    (3) Answers each functional request and follows FOIA denial 
procedures for records withheld.