Title 15

SECTION 280.221

280.221 Record for decision and availability of documents.

§ 280.221 Record for decision and availability of documents.

(a) General. The transcript of hearings, exhibits, rulings, orders, all papers and requests filed in the proceedings and, for purposes of any appeal under § 280.222 of this part, the decision of the administrative law judge and such submissions as are provided for by § 280.623 of this part, will constitute the record and the exclusive basis for decision. When a case is settled after the service of a charging letter, the record will consist of any and all of the foregoing, as well as the settlement agreement and the order. When a case is settled before service of a charging letter, the record will consist of the proposed charging letter, the settlement agreement and the order.

(b) Restricted access. On the administrative law judge's own motion, or on the motion of any party, the administrative law judge may direct that there be a restricted access portion of the record for any material in the record to which public access is restricted by law or by the terms of a protective order entered in the proceedings. A party seeking to restrict access to any portion of the record is responsible for submitting, at the time specified in paragraph (c)(2) of this section, a version of the document proposed for public availability that reflects the requested deletion. The restricted access portion of the record will be placed in a separate file and the file will be clearly marked to avoid improper disclosure and to identify it as a portion of the official record in the proceedings. The administrative law judge may act at any time to permit material that becomes declassified or unrestricted through passage of time to be transferred to the unrestricted access portion of the record.

(c) Availability of documents - (1) Scope. All charging letters, answers, initial decisions, and orders disposing of a case will be made available for public inspection in the BXA Freedom of Information Records Inspection Facility, U.S. Department of Commerce, Room H-6624, 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230. The complete record for decision, as defined in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section will be made available on request.

(2) Timing. Documents are available immediately upon filing, except for any portion of the record for which a request for segregation is made. Parties that seek to restrict access to any portion of the record under paragraph (b) of this section must make such a request, together with the reasons supporting the claim of confidentiality, simultaneously with the submission of material for the record.

[61 FR 50558, Sept. 26, 1996. Redesignated and amended at 65 FR 39802, 39803, June 28, 2000]

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