(a) In general. When reviewing records located by CIGIE in response to a request, CIGIE will determine whether another agency of the Federal Government is better able to determine whether the record is exempt from disclosure under FOIA. As to any such record, CIGIE will proceed in one of the following ways:

(1) Consultation. When records originated with CIGIE, but contain within them information of interest to another agency or office of the Federal Government, CIGIE will typically consult with that other agency prior to making a release determination.

(2) Referral.

(i) When CIGIE believes that a different agency of the Federal Government is best able to determine whether to disclose the record, CIGIE typically will refer the responsibility for responding to the request regarding that record to that agency. Ordinarily, the agency that originated the record will be presumed to be best able to make the disclosure determination. However, if CIGIE and the originating agency jointly agree that the former is in the best position to respond regarding the record, then the record may be handled as a consultation.

(ii) Whenever CIGIE refers any part of the responsibility for responding to a request to another agency, it will document the referral, maintain a copy of the record that it refers, and notify the requester of the referral and inform 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. For example, if CIGIE, in responding to a request for records on a living third party, locates within its files records originating with a law enforcement agency, and if the existence of that law enforcement interest in the third party was not publicly known, then to disclose that law enforcement interest could cause an unwarranted invasion of the personal privacy of the third party. Similarly, if CIGIE locates within its files material originating with an Intelligence Community agency, and the involvement of that agency in the matter is classified and not publicly acknowledged, then to disclose or give attribution to the involvement of that Intelligence Community agency could cause national security harms. In such instances, to avoid harm to an interest protected by an applicable exemption, CIGIE will 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 will then usually be conveyed to the requester by CIGIE.

(b) Timing of responses to received consultations and referrals. All consultations and referrals received by CIGIE will be handled according to the date that the first agency received the perfected FOIA request.

(c) Agreements regarding consultations and referrals. CIGIE may establish agreements with other agencies to eliminate the need for consultations or referrals with respect to particular types of records.

(d) Classified information. On receipt of any request involving classified information, CIGIE 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, CIGIE 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 CIGIE's record contains information that has been derivatively classified (for example, when it contains information classified by another agency), CIGIE must refer the responsibility for responding to that portion of the request to the agency that classified the underlying information.