Title 36
SECTION 1007.4
1007.4 Preliminary processing of requests.
§ 1007.4 Preliminary processing of requests.(a) Scope of requests. Unless a request clearly specifies otherwise, requests to the Presidio Trust may be presumed to seek only records of the Presidio Trust in possession of the Presidio Trust at the time the Presidio Trust begins its search. If any other date is used, the Presidio Trust will inform the requester of that date. A record that is excluded from the requirements of the FOIA pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(c) is not considered responsive to a request.
(b) Records of other departments and agencies. (1) When reviewing records in response to a request, the Presidio Trust will determine whether another Federal department or agency is better able to determine whether the record is exempt from disclosure under the FOIA. As to any such record, the Presidio Trust will proceed in one of the following ways:
(i) Consultation. When records originating with the Presidio Trust, but contain within them information of interest to another Federal department or agency, the Presidio Trust will consult with that other entity prior to making a release determination; or
(ii) Referral. (A) When the Presidio Trust believes that another department or agency is best able to determine whether to disclose the record, the Presidio Trust will refer the responsibility for responding to the request regarding the record to that department or agency. Ordinarily, the department or agency that originated the record is presumed to be the best entity to make the disclosure determination. However, if the Presidio Trust and the originating department or agency jointly agree that the Presidio Trust is in the best position to respond to the request, then the record may be handled as a consultation.
(B) If the Presidio Trust refers any part of the responsibility for responding to a request to another department or agency, the Presidio Trust will document the referral, maintain a copy of the record that it refers, and notify the requester of the referral, informing the requester of the name(s) of the department or agency to which the record was referred, including that entity's FOIA contact information.
(2) Timing of responses to consultations and referrals. All consultations and referrals received by the Presidio Trust will be handled according to the date that the Presidio Trust received the perfected FOIA request.
(3) A request for documents that were classified by another agency shall be referred to that agency.
(c) Consultation with submitters of commercial and financial information. (1) If a request seeks a record containing trade secrets or commercial or financial information submitted by any person or entity, including a corporation, State, Native American tribe or nation, or foreign government, but not including another Federal Government entity, the Presidio Trust shall provide the submitter with notice of the request whenever:
(i) The submitter has made a good faith designation of the information as commercially or financially sensitive; or
(ii) The Presidio Trust has reason to believe that disclosure of the information may result in commercial or financial injury to the submitter.
(2) Where notification of a voluminous number of submitters is required, such notification may be accomplished by posting or publishing the notice in a place reasonably calculated to accomplish notification.
(3) The notice to the submitter shall afford the submitter a reasonable period within which to provide a detailed statement of any objection to disclosure. The submitter's statement shall explain the basis on which the information is claimed to be exempt under the FOIA, including a specification of any claim of competitive or other business harm that would result from disclosure. The statement shall also include a certification that the information is confidential, has not been disclosed to the public by the submitter, and is not routinely available to the public from other sources.
(4) A submitter who fails to respond within the time period specified in the notice will be deemed to have no objection to disclosure of the information. The Presidio Trust shall not be required to consider any information received from the submitter after the date of any disclosure decision. Any information provided by a submitter under this subpart may itself be subject to disclosure under the FOIA.
(5) The Presidio Trust will notify the requester whenever it provides the submitter with notice and an opportunity to object to disclosure; whenever it notifies the submitter of its intent to disclose the requested information; and whenever a submitter files a lawsuit to prevent the disclosure of the information.
(6) If a submitter's statement cannot be obtained within the time limit for processing the request under § 1007.6, the requester shall be notified of the delay as provided in § 1007.6(f).
(7) Notification to a submitter is not required if:
(i) The Presidio Trust determines, prior to giving notice, that the request for the record should be denied;
(ii) The information has previously been lawfully published or officially made available to the public;
(iii) Disclosure is required by a statute (other than the FOIA) or regulation (other than this part);
(iv) Disclosure is clearly prohibited by a statute, as described in § 1007.2(c)(3);
(v) The information was not designated by the submitter as confidential when it was submitted, or a reasonable time thereafter, if the submitter was specifically afforded an opportunity to make such a designation; however, a submitter will be notified of a request for information that was not designated as confidential at the time of submission, or a reasonable time thereafter, if there is substantial reason to believe that disclosure of the information would result in competitive harm;
(vi) The designation of confidentiality made by the submitter is obviously frivolous; or
(vii) The information was submitted to the Presidio Trust more than ten years prior to the date of the request, unless the Presidio Trust has reason to believe that it continues to be confidential.
(8) If a requester brings suit to compel disclosure of information, the submitter of the information will be promptly notified.
[83 FR 50830, Oct. 10, 2018]