(a) General prohibition. No employee or former employee of the Authority, the General Counsel, or the Panel may produce official records and information or provide any testimony relating to official information in response to a request or demand without the prior, written approval of the Chairman of the FLRA, the General Counsel, or the Chairman of the Panel, as appropriate.

(b) Appropriate decision-maker. (1) The Chairman of the FLRA, or his or her designee, determines whether to grant approval if the record requested or demanded is maintained by the FLRA's Authority component, or the person who is the subject of the request or demand is subject to the supervision or control of the FLRA's Authority component or was subject to such supervision or control when formerly employed at the FLRA.

(2) The General Counsel, or his or her designee, determines whether to grant approval if the record requested or demanded is maintained by the General Counsel, or the person who is the subject of the request or demand is subject to the supervision or control of the General Counsel or was subject to such supervision or control when formerly employed at the FLRA.

(3) The Chairman of the Panel, or his or her designee, determines whether to grant approval if the record requested or demanded is maintained by the Panel, or the person who is the subject of the request or demand is subject to the supervision or control of the Panel or was subject to such supervision or control when formerly employed at the FLRA.

The Chairman of the FLRA, the General Counsel, or the Chairman of the Panel, as appropriate, in his or her sole discretion, may grant an employee permission to testify on matters relating to official information, or produce official records and information, in response to a request or demand. Among the relevant factors that the Chairman of the FLRA, the General Counsel, or the Chairman of the Panel may consider in making this decision are whether:

(a) The purposes of this part are met;

(b) Allowing such testimony or production of records would be necessary to prevent a miscarriage of justice;

(c) Allowing such testimony or production of records would assist or hinder the FLRA in performing its statutory duties;

(d) Allowing such testimony or production of records would be in the best interest of the FLRA;

(e) The records or testimony can be obtained from other sources;

(f) The request or demand is unduly burdensome or otherwise inappropriate under the applicable rules of discovery or the rules of procedure governing the case or matter in which the request or demand arose;

(g) Disclosure would violate a statute, Executive Order or regulation;

(h) Disclosure would reveal confidential, sensitive, or privileged information; trade secrets or similar, confidential or financial information; otherwise protected information; or information that would otherwise be inappropriate for release;

(i) Disclosure would impede or interfere with an ongoing law-enforcement investigation or proceeding, or compromise constitutional rights or national-security interests;

(j) Disclosure would result in the FLRA appearing to favor one litigant over another;

(k) The request was served before the demand;

(l) A substantial Government interest is implicated;

(m) The request or demand is within the authority of the party making it;

(n) The request or demand is sufficiently specific to be answered; and

(o) Any other factor deemed relevant under the circumstances of the particular request or demand.

A requester must comply with the following requirements when filing a request or demand for official records and information or testimony under part 2417. Requesters should file a request before a demand.

(a) The request or demand must be in writing and must be submitted to the FLRA's Office of the Solicitor.

(b) The written request or demand must contain the following information:

(1) The caption of the legal proceeding, docket number, and name and address of the court or other authority involved;

(2) A copy of the complaint or equivalent document setting forth the assertions in the case and any other pleading or document necessary to show relevance;

(3) A list of categories of records sought, a detailed description of how the information sought is relevant to the issues in the legal proceeding, and a specific description of the substance of the testimony or records sought;

(4) A statement as to how the need for the information outweighs any need to maintain the confidentiality of the information and the burden on the FLRA to produce the records or provide testimony;

(5) A statement indicating that the information sought is not available from another source, from other persons or entities, or from the testimony of someone other than an employee, such as a retained expert;

(6) If testimony is sought, the intended use of the testimony, and a showing that no document could be provided and used in lieu of testimony;

(7) A description of all prior decisions, orders, or pending motions in the case that bear upon the relevance of the requested records or testimony;

(8) The name, address, and telephone number of counsel to each party in the case; and

(9) An estimate of the amount of time that the requester and other parties will require for each employee to prepare for testimony, to travel to the legal proceeding, and to attend the legal proceeding.

(c) The Office of the Solicitor reserves the right to require additional information to complete the request, where appropriate.

(d) Requesters should submit their request or demand at least 30 days before the date that records or testimony are required. Requests or demands submitted fewer than 30 days before records or testimony are required must be accompanied by a written explanation stating the reasons for the late request or demand and the reasons that would justify expedited processing.

(e) Failure to cooperate in good faith to enable the FLRA to make an informed decision may serve as the basis for a determination not to comply with the request or demand.

(f) The request or demand should state that the requester will provide a copy of the employee's statement at the expense of the requester and that the requester will permit the FLRA to have a representative present during the employee's testimony.

(a) Requests or demands for official records, information, or testimony under this part must be served on the Office of the Solicitor at the following address: Office of the Solicitor, Federal Labor Relations Authority, 1400 K Street NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20424-0001; telephone: (771) 444-5775; fax: (202) 343-1007; or email: [email protected]. The request or demand must be sent by mail, fax, or email and clearly marked “Part 2417 Request for Testimony or Official Records in Legal Proceedings.”

(b) A person requesting public FLRA information and non-public FLRA information under this part may submit a combined request for both to the Office of the Solicitor. If a requester decides to submit a combined request under this section, the FLRA will process the combined request under this part and not under part 2411 (the FLRA's Freedom of Information Act regulations).

(a) After receiving service of a request or a demand for official records, information, or testimony, the appropriate decision-maker will review the request and, in accordance with the provisions of this part, determine whether, or under what conditions, to authorize the employee to testify on matters relating to official information and/or produce official records and information.

(b) Absent exigent circumstances, the appropriate decision-maker will issue a determination within 30 days from the date that it receives the request.

(c) The appropriate decision-maker may grant a waiver of any procedure described by this part where a waiver is considered necessary to promote a significant interest of the FLRA or the United States or for other good cause.

(d) The FLRA may certify that records are true copies in order to facilitate their use as evidence. If a requester seeks certification, the requester must request certified copies from the Office of the Solicitor at least 30 days before the date that they will be needed.

The Chairman of the FLRA, the General Counsel, or the Chairman of the Panel, as appropriate, makes the final determination on demands or requests to employees thereof for production of official records and information or testimony in civil litigation under this part. All final determinations are within the sole discretion of the Chairman of the FLRA, the General Counsel, or the Chairman of the Panel, as appropriate. The appropriate decision-maker will notify the requester and, when appropriate, the court or other competent authority of the final determination, the reasons for the grant or denial of the request, and any conditions that may be imposed on the release of records or information, or on the testimony of an employee. This final determination exhausts administrative remedies for discovery of the information.

(a) Conditions or restrictions may be imposed on the testimony of employees including, for example:

(1) Limiting the areas of testimony;

(2) Requiring the requester and other parties to the legal proceeding to agree that the transcript of the testimony will be kept under seal;

(3) Requiring that the transcript will be used or made available only in the particular legal proceeding for which testimony was requested. The requester may also be required to provide a copy of the transcript of testimony at the requester's expense.

(b) The employee's written declaration may be provided in lieu of testimony.

(c) If authorized to testify pursuant to this part, an employee may testify as to facts within his or her personal knowledge, but, unless specifically authorized to do so by the Chairman of the FLRA, the General Counsel, or the Chairman of the Panel, as appropriate, the employee shall not:

(1) Disclose confidential or privileged information; or

(2) For a current employee, testify as an expert or opinion witness with regard to any matter arising out of the employee's official duties or the functions of the FLRA unless testimony is being given on behalf of the United States (see also 5 CFR 2635.805).

(d) The scheduling of an employee's testimony, including the amount of time that the employee will be made available for testimony, will be subject to the approval of the Chairman of the FLRA, the General Counsel, or the Chairman of the Panel, as appropriate.

(a) The Chairman of the FLRA, the General Counsel, or the Chairman of the Panel, as appropriate may impose conditions or restrictions on the release of official records and information, including the requirement that parties to the proceeding obtain a protective order or execute a confidentiality agreement to limit access and any further disclosure. The terms of the protective order or of a confidentiality agreement must be acceptable to the Chairman of the FLRA, the General Counsel, or the Chairman of the Panel, as appropriate. In cases where protective orders or confidentiality agreements have already been executed, the Chairman of the FLRA, the General Counsel, or the Chairman of the Panel, as appropriate may condition the release of official records and information on an amendment to the existing protective order or confidentiality agreement.

(b) If the Chairman of the FLRA, the General Counsel, or the Chairman of the Panel, as appropriate so determines, original records may be presented for examination in response to a request, but they may not be presented as evidence or otherwise used in a manner by which they could lose their identity as official records, nor may they be marked or altered. In lieu of the original records, certified copies may be presented for evidentiary purposes.

If a response to a demand or request is required before the Chairman of the FLRA, the General Counsel, or the Chairman of the Panel can make the determination referred to in § 2417.206, the Chairman of the FLRA, the General Counsel, or the Chairman of the Panel, when necessary, will provide the court or other competent authority with a copy of this part, inform the court or other competent authority that the request is being reviewed, provide an estimate as to when a decision will be made, and seek a stay of the demand or request pending a final determination.

If the court or other competent authority fails to stay a demand or request, the employee upon whom the demand or request is made, unless otherwise advised by the Chairman of the FLRA, the General Counsel, or the Chairman of the Panel, as appropriate, will appear, if necessary, at the stated time and place, produce a copy of this part, state that the employee has been advised by counsel not to provide the requested testimony or produce documents, and respectfully decline to comply with the demand or request, citing United States ex rel. Touhy v. Ragen, 340 U.S. 462 (1951).