Submission of requests. A request to inspect or copy records shall be made to the installation where the records are located. If the records are located at more than one installation or if the specific location of the records is not known to the person wishing to inspect or copy the records, he may direct his request to the head of the appropriate bureau, or the bureau's chief public information officer, if any.

Form of request. (1) Requests invoking the Freedom of Information Act shall be in writing.

A request must reasonably describe the records requested. A request reasonably describes the records requested if it will enable an employee of the Commission familiar with the subject area of the request to locate the record with a reasonable amount of effort. If such information is available, the request should identify the subject matter of the record, the date when it was made, the place where it was made, and the person or office that made it, the present custodian of the record, and any other information which will assist in location of the requested records. If the request involves a matter known by the requester to be in litigation, the request should also state the case name and court hearing the case.

If the description of a record sought is insufficient to allow identification and location of the record, the response denying the request on this ground shall so state and, to the extent possible, indicate what additional descriptive information, if any, would assist in location of the record.

A request shall state the maximum amount of fees which the requester is willing to pay. Requesters are notified that under § 700.251, the failure to state willingness to pay fees as high as are anticipated by the Commission will delay running of the time limit and delay processing of the request, if the responsible official anticipates that the fees chargeable may exceed $25.00.

To insure expeditious handling, requests shall be prominently marked, both on the envelope and on the face of the request, with the legend “FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST.” The failure of a request to bear such a legend will not disqualify a request from processing under the procedures in this subpart if the request otherwise meets the requirments of this section. A request not bearing the legend “FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST” will not, however, be deemed to have been received for purposes of the running of the time limit set out in § 700.245 until it has been identified by bureau personnel as a Freedom of Information request and marked by them with this legend.

Commission personnel identifying a communication from the public not bearing the legend “FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST” as a request otherwise meeting the requirements of this section shall immediately (A) mark the communication with the legend “FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST.” (B) date the request to reflect the date on which it was identified, and (C) take steps to assure proper processing of the request under the procedures in this subpart.

Categorical requests. (1) A request for all records falling within a reasonably specific category shall be regarded as conforming to the statutory requirement that records be reasonably described if (i) it can be determined which particular records are covered by the request and (ii) the records can be searched for, collected and produced without unduly burdening or interfering with Commission operations because of the staff time consumed or the resulting disruption of the files.

If a categorical request is determined under paragraph (d)(1) of this section not to reasonably describe the records requested, the response denying the request on that ground shall specify the reasons why and shall extend to the requester an opportunity to confer with knowledgeable Commission personnel in an attempt to reduce the request to manageable proportions by reformulation and by agreeing on an orderly procedure for the production of the records.