§ 802.10 - Fee schedule.

§ 802.10 Fee schedule.

(a) Fees. The fees described in this section conform to the Office of Management and Budget Uniform Freedom of Information Act Fee Schedule and Guidelines. They reflect direct costs for search, review (in the case of commercial requesters), and duplication of documents, collection of which is permitted by the FOIA. However, for each of these categories, the fees may be limited, waived, or reduced for the reasons given below or for other reasons.

(b) Types of cost. The term direct costs means those expenditures the agency actually makes in searching for, review (in the case of commercial requesters), and duplicating documents to respond to a FOIA request.

(c) Types of fees. Fees shall be charged in accordance with the schedule contained in paragraph (i) of this section for services rendered in responding to requests for records, unless any one of the following applies:

(1) Services were performed without charge; or

(2) The fees were waived or reduced in accordance with paragraph (f) of this section.

(d) Categories of fees. Specific levels of fees are prescribed for each of the following categories of requesters. :

(1) Commercial use requesters. These requesters are assessed charges, which recover the full direct costs of searching for, reviewing, and duplicating the records sought. Commercial use requesters are not entitled to two hours of free search time or 100 free pages of duplication of documents. Moreover, when a request is received for disclosure that is primarily in the commercial interest of the requester, the Agency is not required to consider a request for a waiver or reduction of fees based upon the assertion that disclosure would be in the public interest. The Agency may recover the cost of searching for and reviewing records even if there is ultimately no disclosure of records, or no records are located.

(2) Educational and non-commercial scientific institution requesters. Records shall be provided to requesters in these categories for the cost of duplication alone, excluding charges for the first 100 pages. To be eligible, requesters must show that the request is made under the auspices of a qualifying institution and that the records are not sought for a commercial use, but are sought in furtherance of scholarly (if the request is from an educational institution) or scientific (if the request is from a non-commercial scientific institution) research. These categories do not include requesters who want records for use in meeting individual academic research or study requirements.

(3) Requesters who are representatives of the news media. Records shall be provided to requesters in this category for the cost of duplication alone, excluding charges for the first 100 pages.

(4) All other requesters. Requesters who do not fit any of the categories described in paragraphs (d)(1) through (3) of this section shall be charged fees that will recover the full direct cost of searching for and duplicating records that are responsive to the request, except that the first 100 pages of duplication and the first two hours of search time shall be furnished without charge. The Agency may recover the cost of searching for records even if there is ultimately no disclosure of records, or no records are located. Requests from persons for records about themselves filed in a systems of records shall continue to be treated under the fee provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974 which permit fees only for duplication.

(e) Fee waiver determination. Where the initial request includes a request for reduction or waiver of fees, the responsible official shall determine whether to grant the request for reduction or waiver before processing the request and notify the requester of this decision. If the decision does not waive all fees, the responsible official shall advise the requester of the fact that fees shall be assessed and, if applicable, payment must be made in advance pursuant to paragraph (g) of this section.

(f) Waiver or reduction of fees.

(1) Fees may be waived or reduced on a case-by-case basis in accordance with this paragraph (f)(1) by the official who determines the availability of the records, provided such waiver or reduction has been requested in writing. Fees shall be waived or reduced by this official when it is determined, based upon the submission of the requester, that a waiver or reduction of the fees is in the public interest because furnishing the information is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations or activities of the government and is not primarily in the commercial interest of the requester. Fee waiver/reduction requests shall be evaluated against the current fee waiver policy guidance issued by the Department of Justice.

(2) Appeals from denials of requests for waiver or reduction of fees shall be decided in accordance with the criteria set forth in this section by the official authorized to decide appeals from denials of access to records. Appeals shall be addressed in writing to the Office of the General Counsel, Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia, Office of the General Counsel, 633 Indiana Avenue , NW., 13th Floor, Washington, DC 20004 within thirty (30) days of the denial of the initial request for waiver or reduction and shall be decided within twenty (20) days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays).

(3) Appeals from an adverse determination of the requester's category as described in paragraphs (d)(1) through (3) of this section shall be decided by the official authorized to decide appeals from denials of access to records and shall be based upon a review of the requester's submission and the Agency's own records. Appeals shall be addressed in writing to the office or officer specified in § 802.7(c paragraph (d)(2) of this section within thirty (30) days of the receipt of the Agency's determination of the requester's category and shall be decided within twenty (20) days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays).

(g) Advance notice of fees.

(1) When the fees for processing the request are estimated to exceed the limit set by the requester, and that amount is less than $250.00, the requester shall be notified of the estimated costs. The requester must provide an agreement to pay the estimated costs; however, the requester will also be given an opportunity to reformulate the request in an attempt to reduce fees.

(2) If the requester has failed to state a limit and the costs are estimated to exceed $250.00, the requester shall be notified of the estimated costs and must pre-pay such amount prior to the processing of the request, or provide satisfactory assurance of full payment if the requester has a history of prompt payment of FOIA fees. The requester will also be given an opportunity to reformulate the request in an attempt to reduce fees.

(h) Form of payment.

(1) Payment may be made by check or money order payable to the Treasury of the United States.

(2) The Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency reserves the right to request prepayment after a request is processed and before documents are released in the following circumstances.

(i) When costs are estimated or determined to exceed $250.00, the Agency shall either obtain satisfactory assurance of full payment of the estimated cost where the requester has a history of prompt payment of FOIA fees or require the requester to make an advance payment of the entire estimated or determined fee before continuing to process the request.

(ii) If a requester has previously failed to pay a fee within thirty (30) days of the date of the billing, the requester shall be required to pay the full amount owed plus any applicable interest, and to make an advance payment of the full amount of the estimated fee before the Agency begins to process a new request or the pending request. Whenever interest is charged, the Agency shall begin assessing interest on the 31st day following the day on which billing was sent. Interest shall be at the rate prescribed in 31 U.S.C. 3717.

(i) Amounts to be charged for specific services. The fees for services performed by an employee of the Agency shall be imposed and collected as set forth in this paragraph (i).

(1) Duplicating records. All requesters, except commercial requesters, shall receive the first 100 pages duplicated without charge; the first two hours of search time free; or charge which total $10.00 or less. Fees for the copies are to be calculated as follows:

(i) The duplication cost is calculated by multiplying the number of pages in excess of 100 by $0.25.

(ii) Photographs, films, and other materials - actual materials—actual cost of duplication.

(iii) Other types of duplication services not mentioned above - actual above—actual cost.

(iv) Material provided to a private contractor for copying shall be charged to the requester at the actual cost charged by the private contractor.

(2) Search services. The cost of search time is calculated by multiplying the number of quarter hours in excess of two hours by the following rates for the staff conducting the search:

(i) $7.00 per quarter hour for clerical staff;

(ii) $10.00 per quarter hour for professional staff; and

(iii) $14.00 per quarter hour for managerial personnel.

(3) Only fees in excess of $10.00 will be assessed. This means that the total cost must be greater than $10.00, either for the cost of the search (for time in excess of two hours), for the cost of duplication (for pages in excess of 100), or for both costs combined.

(j) Searches for electronic records. The Agency shall charge for actual direct cost of the search, including computer search time, runs, and the operator's salary. The fee for computer output shall be actual direct costs. For requesters in the “all other” category, when the cost of the search (including the operator time and the cost of operating the computer to process a request) equals the equivalent dollar amount of two hours of the salary of the person performing the search (i.e., the operator), the charge for the computer search will begin.

(k) Aggregating requests. When the Agency reasonably believes that a requester or group of requesters is attempting to break a request down into a series of requests for the purpose of evading the assessment of fees, the Agency shall aggregate any such requests and charge accordingly.

(l) The agency shall not assess any search fees (or in the case of an educational or noncommercial scientific institution, or a representative of the news media—duplication fees) under this paragraph (l) if the agency has failed to comply with any time limit under 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(6) and § 802.6(b)(1).

(1) If an agency has determined that unusual circumstances apply (as the term is defined in 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(6)(B)) and the agency provided a timely written notice to the requester in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(6)(B), a failure described in 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(6)(B) is excused for an additional 10 days. If the agency fails to comply with the extended time limit, the agency may not assess any search fees (or in the case of a requester as described under this paragraph (l)(1), duplication fees).

(2) If an agency has determined that unusual circumstances apply and more than 5,000 pages are necessary to respond to the request, an agency may charge search fees (or in the case of a requester described under paragraph (l)(1) of this section, duplication fees) if the agency has provided a timely written notice to the requester in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(6)(B) and the agency has discussed with the requester via written mail, electronic mail, or telephone (or made not less than 3 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).

(3) If a court has determined that exceptional circumstances exist (as that term is defined in 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(6)(C)), a failure described in 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(6)(B) shall be excused for the length of time provided by the court order.