299.6—Fees.
(a)
Upon receipt of a request, DC3 shall evaluate the request to determine the fee category or status of the requester, as well as the appropriateness of a waiver or reduction of fees if requested. There are no fees associated with a Privacy Act request, except as stated in NSA/CSS Regulation 10-35, Implementation of the Privacy Act of 1974. If fees are assessable, a search cost estimate shall be sent to the Directorate(s) and Associate Directorate(s) expected to maintain responsive records. If DC3 assigns a fee category to a requester which differs from that claimed by the requester or determines that a waiver or reduction of fees is not appropriate, DC3 shall notify the requester of this discrepancy and of the estimated cost of processing the request. The requester shall be given 60 days to provide additional substantiation for the fee status claimed or for a fee waiver or reduction. The requester shall be advised that his/her request shall not be processed until the discrepancy over the fee category, fee waiver or reduction, or both are resolved. He/she shall also be advised of his/her right to appeal/DC3's determination. A fee waiver or reduction shall be granted or denied in accordance with DoD 5400.7-R and based on information provided by the requester. If the requester does not respond to DC3's initial notification of the discrepancy in fee assessment within the 60 days, DC3's determination about that requester's fee status shall be final.
(b)
Fees shall reflect only direct search, review (in the case of commercial requesters) and duplication costs, recovery of which are permitted by 5 U.S.C. 552. Fees shall not be used to discourage requesters.
(d)
Fees shall be based on estimates provided by appropriate organizational focal points. Upon completion of the processing of the request and computation of all assessable fees, the request shall be handled as follows:
(1)
If the earlier cost estimate was under $250.00 and the requester has not yet paid and has no payment history, the requester shall be notified of the actual cost and shall be sent a bill under separate cover. Upon receipt of payment, processing results and non-exempt information shall be provided to the requester.
(2)
In cases where the requester paid prior to processing, if the actual costs exceed the estimated costs, the requester shall be notified of the remaining fees due. Processing results and non-exempt information shall be provided to the requester upon payment of the amount in excess or, if less than $250.00, receipt of the requester's agreement to pay. If the requester refuses to pay the amount in excess, processing of the request will be terminated with notice to the requester.
(3)
In cases where the requester paid prior to processing, if the actual costs are less than estimated fees which have been collected from the requester, processing results and the non-exempt information shall be provided to the requester, and the FOIA office shall advise Accounting and Financial Services of the need to refund funds to the requester.
(e)
Fees for manual searches, review time and personnel costs associated with computer searches shall be computed according to the following schedule:
| Type | Grade | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| (1) Clerical | E9/GS8 and below | $20 |
| (2) Professional | O1-O6/GS9-GS15 | 44 |
| (3) Executive | O7/SCE/SLE/SLP | 75 |
| (4) Contractor | 44 |
(f)
Fees for machine time involved in computer searches shall be based on the direct cost of retrieving information from the computer, including associated input/output costs.
(g)
Search costs for audiovisual documentary material shall be computed as for any other record. Duplication costs shall be the actual, direct cost of reproducing the material, including the wage of the person doing the work. Audiovisual materials provided to a requester need not be in reproducible format or quality.
| Type | Cost per page |
|---|---|
| (1) Office Copy | $.15 |
| (2) Microfiche | .25 |
| (3) Printed Material | .02 |