Title 12
SECTION 261.14
261.14 Appeals.
§ 261.14 Appeals.(a) Appeal of adverse determination. If the Board makes an adverse determination as defined in § 261.13(f), the requester may file a written appeal with the Board, as follows:
(1) The appeal should prominently display the phrase FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT APPEAL on the first page, and should be sent directly to [email protected] or, if sent by mail, addressed to the Office of the Secretary, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Attn: FOIA Appeals, 20th Street & Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20551; or sent by facsimile to the Office of the Secretary, (202) 872-7565. If the requester is appealing the denial of expedited treatment, the appeal should clearly be labeled “Appeal for Expedited Processing.”
(2) A request for records under § 261.11 may not be combined in the same letter with an appeal.
(3) To be considered timely, an appeal must be postmarked, or in the case of electronic submissions, transmitted, within 90 calendar days after the date of the adverse determination.
(b) Except as provided in § 261.12(c)(3), the Board shall make a determination regarding any appeal within 20 working days of actual receipt of the appeal by the Office of the Secretary. If an adverse determination is upheld on appeal, in whole or in part, the determination letter shall notify the appealing party of the right to seek judicial review and of the availability of dispute resolution services from the Office of Government Information Services as a nonexclusive alternative to litigation.
(c) The Board may reconsider an adverse determination, including one on appeal, if intervening circumstances or additional facts not known at the time of the adverse determination come to the attention of the Board.