Requests for records that are in ONDCP's custody but in which other agencies have equities shall be reviewed by ONDCP and then ONDCP will either consult with or refer the records to the other agency or agencies for further processing.
(a) Consultation. When records originated with ONDCP, but contain within them information of interest to another agency or other Federal government office, ONDCP will consult with that other entity prior to making a release determination.
(b) Referral—(1) Determination. When ONDCP believes that a different agency or component is best able to determine whether to disclose the record, ONDCP will refer the responsibility for responding to the request regarding that record to that agency. Ordinarily, the agency that originated the record is presumed to be the best agency to make the disclosure determination. However, if the agency processing the request and the originating agency jointly agree that the agency processing the request is in the best position to respond regarding the record, then the record may be handled as a consultation.
(2) Documentation. Whenever ONDCP refers any part of the responsibility for responding to a request to another agency, it must document the referral, maintain a copy of the record that it refers, and notify the requester of the referral, informing the requester of the name(s) of the agency to which the record was referred, including that agency's FOIA contact information.
(3) Coordination. 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 order to avoid harm to an interest protected by an applicable exemption, the agency that received the request should coordinate with the originating agency to seek its views on the disclosability of the record. The release determination for the record that is the subject of the coordination should then be conveyed to the requester by the agency that originally received the request.
(c) Classified information. On receipt of any request involving classified information, ONDCP must 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 must 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 an agency's record contains information that has been derivatively classified (for example, when it contains information classified by another agency), the agency must refer the responsibility for responding to that portion of the request to the agency that classified the underlying information.
(d) Timing of responses to consultations and referrals. All consultations and referrals received by ONDCP will be handled according to the date that the first agency received the perfected FOIA request.
(e) Agreements regarding consultations and referrals. ONDCP may establish agreements with other agencies to eliminate the need for consultations or referrals with respect to particular types of records.