(a) Submission of an appeal. If your FOIA request has been denied in whole or in part, or if the agency has not found any records in response to your request, you may file an appeal no later than ninety (90) calendar days following the date of the notification of denial. Your appeal must include a description of the initial request, the reason for the appeal, and why you believe the agency's response was incorrect. Your appeal must be in writing, signed, and filed with the IMLS Director, c/o Office of the General Counsel, 955 L'Enfant Plaza North SW, Suite 4000, Washington, DC 20024-2135. Appeals may also be sent via email to foia@imls.gov, or via facsimile to (202) 653-4625.

(b) Decisions on appeal. The Director of IMLS will make a determination with respect to your appeal within twenty (20) working days after the agency has received the appeal, except as provided in §1184.4(b). If the decision on appeal is favorable to you, the Director of IMLS will take action to assure prompt dispatch of the records to you. If the decision on appeal is adverse to you, in whole or in part, you will be informed by the Director of IMLS of the reasons for the decision and of the provisions for judicial review set forth in the FOIA. As appropriate, IMLS will advise you in a response to an appeal that the 2007 FOIA amendments created the Office of Government Information Services to offer mediation services to resolve disputes between FOIA requesters and Federal agencies as a non-exclusive alternative to litigation.

[79 FR 9423, Feb. 19, 2014, as amended at 84 FR 22946, May 21, 2019]