(a) In general. Requests meeting the requirements of § 1801.11 through § 1801.13 shall be processed under both the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552,and,5.S.C. 552a, and the applicable regulations, unless the requester demands otherwise in writing. Such requests will be processed under both Acts regardless of whether the requester cites one Act in the request, both, or neither. This action is taken in order to ensure the maximum possible disclosure to the requester.

(b) Receipt, recording and tasking. Upon receipt of a request meeting the requirements of §§ 1801.11 through 1801.13, NACIC shall within ten (10) days record each request, acknowledge receipt to the requester, and thereafter effect the necessary taskings to the office(s) reasonably believed to hold responsive records.

(c) Effect of certain exemptions. In processing a request, NACIC shall decline to confirm or deny the existence or nonexistence of any responsive records whenever the fact of their existence or nonexistence is itself classified under Executive Order 12958 and that confirmation of the existence of a record may jeopardize intelligence sources and methods protected pursuant to section 103(c)(6) of the National Security Act of 1947. In such circumstances, NACIC, in the form of a final written response, shall so inform the requester and advise of his or her right to an administrative appeal.

(d) Time for response. Although the Privacy Act does not mandate a time for response, our joint treatment of requests under both the Privacy Act and the FOIA means that the NACIC should provide a response within the FOIA statutory guideline of ten (10) days on initial requests and twenty (20) days on administrative appeals. However, the volume of requests may require that NACIC seek additional time from a requester pursuant to § 1801.33. In such event, NACIC will inform the requester in writing and further advise of his or her right to file an administrative appeal.

(a) Initial action for access. NACIC offices tasked pursuant to a Privacy Act access request shall search all relevant record systems within their cognizance. They shall:

(1) Determine whether responsive records exist;

(2) Determine whether access must be denied in whole or part and on what legal basis under both Acts in each such case;

(3) Approve the disclosure of records for which they are the originator; and

(4) Forward to the Coordinator all records approved for release or necessary for coordination with or referral to another originator or interested party as well as the specific determinations with respect to denials (if any).

(b) Initial action for amendment. NACIC offices tasked pursuant to a Privacy Act amendment request shall review the official records alleged to be inaccurate and the proposed amendment submitted by the requester. If they determine that NACIC's records are not accurate, relevant, timely or complete, they shall promptly:

(1) Make the amendment as requested;

(2) Write to all other identified persons or agencies to whom the record has been disclosed (if an accounting of the disclosure was made) and inform of the amendment; and

(3) Inform the Coordinator of such decisions.

(c) Action otherwise on amendment request. If the NACIC office records manager declines to make the requested amendment (or declines to make the requested amendment) but agrees to augment the official records, that manager shall promptly:

(1) Set forth the reasons for refusal; and

(2) Inform the Coordinator of such decision and the reasons therefore.

(d) Referrals and coordinations. As applicable and within ten (10) days of receipt by the Coordinator, any NACIC records containing information originated by other NACIC offices shall be forwarded to those entities for action in accordance with paragraphs (a), (b), or (c) of this section and return. Records originated by other federal agencies or NACIC records containing other federal information shall be forwarded to such agencies within ten (10) days of our completion of initial action in the case for action under their regulations and direct response to the requester (for other NACIC records) or return to NACIC (for NACIC records).

(e) Effect of certain exemptions. This section shall not be construed to allow access to systems of records exempted by the Director, NACIC pursuant to subsections (j) and (k) of the Privacy Act or where those exemptions require that NACIC can neither confirm nor deny the existence or nonexistence of responsive records.

Within ten (10) days of receipt of responses to all initial taskings and subsequent coordinations (if any), and dispatch of referrals (if any), NACIC will provide disclosable records to the requester. If a determination has been made not to provide access to requested records (in light of specific exemptions) or that no records are found, NACIC shall so inform the requester, identify the denying official, and advise of the right to administrative appeal.