(a) General rule. The Freedom of Information Act rules shall be applied to every proposed disclosure of information. If, considering the circumstances of the disclosure, the information would be made available in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act rules, then the information may be disclosed regardless of whether the requester or beneficiary of the information has a statutory right to request the information under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552, or whether a request has been made.

(b) Application of the general rule. Pursuant to the general rule in paragraph (a) of this section,

(1) Information shall be disclosed—

(i) To a subject individual when required by the access provision of the Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. 552a(d), as implemented by the Department Privacy Act regulation, 45 CFR part 5b; and

(ii) To a person upon request when required by the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552;

(2) Unless prohibited by any other statute (e.g., the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a(b), the Tax Reform Act of 1976, 26 U.S.C. 6103, or section 1106(d) and (e) of the Social Security Act), information may be disclosed to any requester or beneficiary of the information, including another Federal agency or a State or Federal court, when the information would not be exempt from mandatory disclosure under Freedom of Information Act rules or when the information nevertheless would be made available under the Department's public information regulation's criteria for disclosures which are in the public interest and consistent with obligations of confidentiality and administrative necessity, 45 CFR part 5, subpart F, as supplemented by §§401.106 to 401.152 of this subpart.

[42 FR 14704, Mar. 16, 1977. Redesignated at 45 FR 74913, 74914, Nov. 13, 1980, and correctly redesignated at 46 FR 24551, May 1, 1981, as amended at 46 FR 55697, Nov. 12, 1981]