45 C.F.R. § 1602.13 – Appeals of denials.

(a) Any person whose written request has been denied is entitled to appeal the denial within 90 days of the date of the response by writing to the President of LSC or, in the case of a denial of a request for OIG records, the Inspector General, at the mailing or email addresses given in § 1602.8(b)(1) and (2). The envelope and letter or email appeal should be clearly marked: “Freedom of Information Appeal.” An appeal need not be in any particular form, but should adequately identify the denial, if possible, by describing the requested record, identifying the official who issued the denial, and providing the date on which the denial was issued.
(b) No personal appearance, oral argument, or hearing will ordinarily be permitted on appeal of a denial. Upon request and a showing of special circumstances, however, this limitation may be waived and an informal conference may be arranged with the President, Inspector General or their designees for this purpose.
(c) (1) The decision of the President or the Inspector General on an appeal shall be in writing and, in the event the denial is in whole or in part upheld, shall contain an explanation responsive to the arguments advanced by the requester, the matters described in § 1602.12(a)(1) through (4), and the provisions for judicial review of such decision under 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(4). The decision must also notify the requester of the dispute resolution services offered by the National Archives and Records Administration's Office of Government Information Systems as a non-exclusive alternative to litigation. A requester may contact the Office of Government Information Services in any of the following ways:
1. (i) Office of Government Information Services, National Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road—OGIS, College Park, MD 20740.
2. (ii) ogis.archives.gov.
3. (iii) Email: ogis@nara.gov.
4. (iv) Telephone: 202-741-5770.
5. (v) Facsimile: 202-741-5769.
6. (vi) Toll-free: 1-877-684-6448.
7. (2) Dispute resolution through the Office of Government Information Services is a voluntary process. If LSC agrees to participate in the dispute resolution services provided by the Office of Government Information Services, it will actively engage in the process in an attempt to resolve the dispute.
(d) LSC will send its decision to the requester within 20 business days after receipt of the appeal, unless an additional period is justified due to unusual circumstances, as described in § 1602.9, in which case LSC may extend the time limit for up to 10 working days by written notice to the requester setting forth the reasons for such extension and the date on which LSC expects to send its determination. The decision of the President or the Inspector General shall constitute the final action of LSC. All such decisions shall be treated as final opinions under § 1602.5(b)(1).
(e) On an appeal, the President or designee shall consult with the OIG prior to reversing in whole or in part the denial of any request for records or portions of records which originated with the OIG, or which contain information which originated with the OIG, but which are maintained by LSC. The Inspector General or designee shall consult with the President prior to reversing in whole or in part the denial of any request for records or portions of records which originated with LSC, or which contain information which originated with LSC, but which are maintained by the OIG.