(a) The director of the New York State Office for the Aging is responsible for insuring compliance with the regulations herein, and designates the following person(s) as records access officer(s):

Assistant Counsel - Records Access Officer

State Office for the Aging

Two Empire State Plaza

Albany, NY 12223-1251

Phone: (518) 474-4425

e-mail: http://www.aging.state.ny.us

(b) The records access officer is responsible for insuring appropriate agency response to public requests for access to records. The designation of a records access officer shall not be construed to prohibit officials who have in the past been authorized to make records or information available to the public from continuing to do so. The records access officer shall insure that agency personnel:

1. (1) maintain an up-to-date subject matter list;
2. (2) assist persons seeking records to identify the records sought, if necessary, and when appropriate, indicate the manner in which the records are filed, retrieved or generated to assist persons in reasonably describing records;
3. (3) contact persons seeking records when a request is voluminous or when locating the records involves substantial effort, so that personnel may ascertain the nature of records of primary interest and attempt to reasonably reduce the volume of records requested;

4. (4) upon locating the records, take one of the following actions:

   1. (i) make records available for inspection; or
   2. (ii) deny access to the records in whole or in part and explain in writing the reasons therefor;

5. (5) upon request for copies of records:

   1. (i) make a copy available upon payment or offer to pay established fees, if any, in accordance with section 6650.8 of this Part; or
   2. (ii) permit the requester to copy those records;
6. (6) upon request, certify that a record is a true copy; and

7. (7) upon failure to locate records, certify that:

   1. (i) the State Office for the Aging is not the custodian for such records; or
   2. (ii) the records of which the State Office for the Aging is a custodian cannot be found after diligent search.