(a) Form. Requests for correction must be made in writing and must be signed by the requester. Requests should be addressed to the Freedom of Information and Privacy Office at the address in § 404.12(e) and should contain both the return address and telephone number of the requester. The request must identify the particular record in question, state the correction sought, and set forth the justification for the correction. The requester also must verify his or her identity in accordance with the procedures set forth at § 404.14(d) and (e). Both the envelope and the request for correction itself should be clearly marked in capital letters: “PRIVACY ACT CORRECTION REQUEST.”
(b) Initial determination. The Freedom of Information and Privacy Office shall respond to valid correction requests within ten working days of receipt of the request letter. If Ex-Im Bank grants the request for correction, then the Freedom of Information and Privacy Office shall advise the requester of his or her right to obtain a copy, in releasable form, of the corrected record. A denial notice shall state the reasons for the denial and shall advise the requester of the right to appeal. Ex-Im Bank shall not charge for processing requests for correction.
(c) Appeal of denial of request for correction. Whenever Ex-Im Bank denies a request for correction, the requester may appeal the denial to the Assistant General Counsel for Administration within thirty working days of Ex-Im Bank's issuance of notice of such action. Appeals must be made in writing and must be signed by the appellant. Appeals should be addressed to the Assistant General Counsel for Administration at the address set forth in § 404.12(e). Both the envelope and the appeal letter should be clearly marked in capital letters: “PRIVACY ACT CORRECTION APPEAL.” Failure to properly mark or address the appeal may slow its processing. An appeal shall not be deemed to have been received by Ex-Im Bank until the Assistant General Counsel for Administration receives the appeal letter. The letter must include:
(1) A copy of the denied request or a description of the correction sought;
(2) The name and title of the Ex-Im Bank employee who denied the request;
(3) The date on which the request was denied;
(4) The Ex-Im Bank identification number assigned to the request; and
(5) Any information said to justify the correction.
(d) Final determination on correction appeal.
(1) The disposition of an appeal shall be made in writing within twenty working days after the date of receipt of an appeal. The Assistant General Counsel for Administration may extend the time for response an additional ten working days for good cause, provided that the requester is notified in writing.
(2) A decision affirming the denial of a request for access shall advise the appellant of the:
(i) Reasons for affirming the denial;
(ii) Right to seek judicial review; and
(iii) Right to file a statement of disagreement, as provided in paragraph (e) of this section.
(3) If the initial determination is reversed, then the request shall be remanded to the Freedom of Information and Privacy Office to be processed in accordance with the decision on appeal.
(e) Statement of disagreement. Upon denial of a correction appeal, the appellant shall have the right to file a statement of disagreement with Ex-Im Bank, setting forth his or her reasons for disagreeing with the Agency's action. The statement should be addressed to the Freedom of Information and Privacy Office at the address in § 404.12(e) and must be received within thirty working days of Ex-Im Bank's issuance of the denial notice. A statement of disagreement must not exceed one typed page per fact disputed. Statements exceeding this limit shall be returned to the requester for editing. Upon receipt of a statement of disagreement under this section, the Freedom of Information and Privacy Office shall have the statement included in the system of records in which the disputed record is maintained and shall have the disputed record marked so as to indicate that a Statement of Disagreement has been filed. Ex-Im Bank may also append to the disputed record a written statement regarding Ex-Im Bank's reasons for denying the request to correct the record.
(f) Notices of correction or disagreement. In any disclosure of a record for which Ex-Im Bank has received a statement of disagreement, Ex-Im Bank shall clearly note any portion of the record which is disputed and shall provide a copy of the statement of disagreement. Ex-Im Bank also may provide its own statement regarding the disputed record. In addition, whenever Ex-Im Bank corrects a record or receives a statement of disagreement, Ex-Im Bank shall, as is reasonable under the circumstances, advise any person or agency to which it previously disclosed such record of the correction or statement, provided that an accounting of such disclosure exists.