(a) In general. Except as stated in paragraphs (c), (d), and (e) of this section and in §102.24(a), the office that first receives a request for access to a record, and has possession of that record, is the office responsible for responding to the request. That office shall acknowledge receipt of the request not later than 10 days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal public holidays) after the date of receipt of the request in writing. In determining which records are responsive to a request, an office ordinarily shall include only those records in its possession as of the date the office begins its search for them. If any other date is used, the office shall inform the requester of that date.

(b) Authority to grant or deny requests. The Program/Support Office Head, or designee, is authorized to grant or deny any request for access to a record of that office.

(c) Consultations and referrals. When an office receives a request for access to a record in its possession, it shall determine whether another office, or another agency of the Federal Government, is better able to determine whether the record is exempt from access under the Privacy Act. If the receiving office determines that it is best able to process the record in response to the request, then it shall do so. If the receiving office determines that it is not best able to process the record, then it shall either:

(1) Respond to the request regarding that record, after consulting with the office or agency best able to determine whether the record is exempt from access and with any other office or agency that has a substantial interest in it; or

(2) Refer the responsibility for responding to the request to the office best able to determine whether the record is exempt from access or to another agency that originated the record (but only if that agency is subject to the Privacy Act). Ordinarily the office or agency that originated a record will be presumed to be best able to determine whether it is exempt from access.

(d) Law enforcement information. Whenever a request is made for access to a record containing information that relates to an investigation of a possible violation of law and that was originated by SBA's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) or another agency, the receiving office shall refer the responsibility for responding to the request regarding that information to either SBA's OIG or the other agency “depending on where the investigation originated.”

(e) Classified information. Whenever a request is made for access to a record containing information that has been classified by or may be appropriate for classification by another office or agency under Executive Order 12958 or any other executive order concerning the classification of records, the receiving office shall refer the responsibility for responding to the request regarding that information to the office or agency that classified the information, should consider the information for classification, or has the primary interest in it, as appropriate. Whenever a record contains information that has been derivatively classified by an office because it contains information classified by another office or agency, the office shall refer the responsibility for responding to the request regarding that information to the office or agency that classified the underlying information. Information determined to no longer require classification shall not be withheld from a requester on the basis of Exemption (k)(1) of the Privacy Act.

(f) Notice of referral. Whenever an office refers all or any part of the responsibility for responding to a request to another office or agency, it shall notify the requester of the referral and inform the requester of the name of each office or agency to which the request has been referred and of the part of the request that has been referred.

(g) Responses to consultations and referrals. All consultations and referrals shall be processed according to the date the access request was initially received by the first office or agency, not any later date.

(h) Agreements regarding consultations and referrals. Offices may make agreements with other offices or agencies to eliminate the need for consultations or referrals for particular types of records.