§ 515.703 - Response to prepenalty notice; requests for hearing and prehearing discovery; waiver; informal settlement.

(a) Deadline for response. The respondent shall have 30 calendar days from the date of mailing or other service of the prepenalty notice pursuant to § 515.702(c) to respond thereto. The response, signed and dated, may be sent by facsimile transmission to the Office of Foreign Assets Control, at 202/622-1657, or by courier or other expedited means at any time during the 30-day response period if an original copy is sent concurrently via the U.S. Postal Service, registered or certified mail, return receipt requested. The date shown on the date-stamped registered or certified mail postal receipt will constitute the filing date of the response.

(b) Form and contents of response—(1) In general. The written response need not be in any particular form, but shall contain information sufficient to indicate that it is in response to the prepenalty notice. It should be responsive to the allegations contained therein and set forth the nature of the respondent's defenses.

(i) The response must admit or deny specifically each separate allegation of violation made in the prepenalty notice. If the respondent is without knowledge as to an allegation, the response shall so state, and such statement shall operate as a denial. Failure to deny, controvert, or object to any allegation will be deemed an admission of that allegation.

(ii) The response must also set forth any additional or new matter or arguments the respondent seeks, or shall seek, to use in support of all defenses or claims for mitigation. Any defense or partial defense not specifically set forth in the response shall be deemed waived, and evidence thereon may be refused, except for good cause shown.

(iii) The response must also accurately state, for each respondent, the respondent's full name and address for future service, together with current telephone and, if applicable, facsimile machine numbers and area code. If respondent is represented by counsel, counsel's full name and address, together with telephone and facsimile numbers and area code, may be provided in lieu of service information for the respondent. The respondent or respondent's counsel of record is responsible for providing timely written notice to the parties of any subsequent changes in the information provided.

(2) Request for hearing and prehearing discovery; waiver. Any request for an administrative hearing and prehearing discovery must be made, if at all, in the written response made pursuant to this section and within the 30 calendar day period specified in § 515.705(a). A failure to request a hearing and prehearing discovery in writing within 30 calendar days of service of the prepenalty notice constitutes a waiver of a hearing and prehearing discovery. A response asserting that respondent reserves the right to request a hearing or prehearing discovery beyond the 30 calendar day period is ineffectual.

(3) Informal settlement; response deadline. In addition or as an alternative to a written response to a prepenalty notice pursuant to this section, the respondent or respondent's representative may contact the Office of Foreign Assets Control as advised in the prepenalty notice to propose the settlement of allegations contained in the prepenalty notice and related matters. In the event of settlement at the prepenalty stage, the claim proposed in the prepenalty notice will be withdrawn, the respondent is not required to take a written position on allegations contained in the prepenalty notice, and the Office of Foreign Assets Control will make no final determination as to whether a violation occurred. The amount accepted in settlement of allegations in a prepenalty notice may vary from the civil penalty that might finally be imposed in the event of a formal determination of violation. In the event no settlement is reached, the 30 calendar day period specified in paragraph (a) of this section for written response to the prepenalty notice remains in effect unless additional time is granted by the Office of Foreign Assets Control. A failure to request a hearing and prehearing discovery in writing within 30 calendar days of service of the prepenalty notice constitutes a waiver of a hearing and prehearing discovery.