(a) Except as described in § 2105.12, the Agency is responsible for responding to the request and for making a reasonable effort to search for responsive records.

(b) In determining which records are responsive to a request, the Agency will include only records in its possession and control on the date that it begins its search.

(c) The Agency will make reasonable efforts to search for the requested records. As part of its reasonable efforts, the Agency will search paper and/or electronic records (for example, emails), as appropriate. The Agency will not search for records in an electronic form or format if these efforts would significantly interfere with the operation of the Agency's automated information system.

(d) If the Agency receives a request for records in its possession that it did not create or that another Federal agency is substantially concerned with, it may undertake consultations and/or referrals as described in § 2105.12.

(a) Consultations and referrals generally occur outside the Agency.

(1) Paragraphs (b) through (f) of this section address consultations and referrals that occur outside the Agency when the Agency has responsive records.

(2) Paragraph (g) of this section addresses what happens when the Agency has no responsive records but believes responsive records may be in the possession of a Federal agency outside the Agency.

(b) If, while responding to a request, the Agency locates records that originated with another Federal agency, it usually will refer the request and any responsive records to that other agency for a release determination and direct response.

(c) If the Agency refers records to another agency, it will document the referral and maintain a copy of the records that it refers and notify you of the referral in writing. When the Agency notifies you of the referral, it will tell you whether the referral was for part or all of your request and provide the name and contact information for the other agency. You may treat such a response as a denial of records and file an appeal, in accordance with the procedures in § 2105.56.

(d) The standard referral procedure is not appropriate where disclosure of the identity of the Agency to which the referral would be made could harm an interest protected by an applicable exemption, such as the exemptions that protect personal privacy or national security interests. In such instances, in order to avoid harm to an interest protected by an applicable exemption, the Agency that received the request will coordinate with the originating agency and seek its views on the disclosability of the record. The release determination for the record that is the subject of the coordination will then be conveyed to the requester by the Agency that originally received the request.

(e) If the Agency locates records that originated with another Federal agency while responding to a request, the Agency will make the release determination itself (after consulting with the originating agency) when:

(1) The record is of primary interest to the Agency (for example, a record may be of primary interest to the Agency if it was developed or prepared according to the Agency's regulations or directives, or in response to an Agency request);

(2) The Agency is in a better position than the originating agency to assess whether the record is exempt from disclosure;

(3) The originating agency is not subject to the FOIA; or

(4) It is more efficient or practical depending on the circumstances.

(f) On receipt of any request involving classified information, the Agency will determine whether the information is currently and properly classified in accordance with applicable classification rules. Whenever a request involves a record containing information that has been classified or may be appropriate for classification by another agency under any applicable Executive order concerning the classification of records, the receiving agency will refer the responsibility for responding to the request regarding that information to the agency that classified the information, or that should consider the information for classification. Whenever the Agency's record contains information that has been derivatively classified (for example, when it contains information classified by another agency), the Agency will refer the responsibility for responding to that portion of the request to the agency that classified the underlying information.

(g) If the Agency receives a request for records not in its possession, but that the Agency believes may be in the possession of a Federal agency outside the Agency, the Agency will return the request to you, may advise you to submit it directly to the other agency, will notify you that the Agency cannot comply with the request, and will close the request. If you believe this response was in error, you may file an appeal in accordance with the procedures in § 2105.56.