(a) To be considered a FOIA request under this part, the following must occur:

(1) The request must be written (either by hand or electronically);

(2) The request must be submitted in accordance with § 1662.7;

(3) The requester must provide the following required contact information: requester's name, U.S. or foreign postal address, description of records sought, and fee willing to pay. While not required, the Agency encourages requesters to provide us with their email address and phone number; and

(4) The request must clearly state and reasonably describe what SSS records are requested. Broad, sweeping requests and vague requests are not reasonably described. The requester must describe the records sought in sufficient detail to enable the Agency to locate the records within a reasonable amount of effort. When known, requests should identify the records sought by providing the name/title of the record, applicable date range, subject matter, offices, or employees involved, and record type. If the request is for electronic communications, such as email records, it would assist SSS if the requestor could provide as much information as possible, such as the names, position titles, or other identifying information about the Agency employees involved, as well as the applicable timeframe. Absent sufficient details, the Agency may be unable to search for or locate the records sought. The greater the date range, the longer it may take to process the request and the greater amount of fees that may be charged.

(b) Requests that do not meet the required criteria above are not considered proper FOIA requests.

(c) The FOIA requires an Agency to provide the record in any form or format requested by the person if the record is readily reproducible by the Agency in that form or format. SSS will not search or produce records in response to a FOIA request that the FOIA Officer determines would be unduly burdensome (as defined in case law) to process. FOIA requests are unreasonably burdensome when it is a broad, sweeping request that lacks specificity.