(a) The Authorized Approving Official shall determine what material is to be produced or what testimony is to be provided, based upon the following standards:

(1) Expert or opinion material or testimony. In any legal proceeding among private litigants, no employee of the Department may produce material or provide testimony as described in §15.201(a) that is of an expert or opinion nature, unless specifically authorized by the Authorized Approving Official for good cause shown.

(2) Factual material or testimony. In any legal proceeding among private litigants, no employee of the Department may produce material or provide testimony as described in §15.201(a) that is of a factual nature, unless specifically authorized by the Authorized Approving Official. The Authorized Approving Official shall determine whether any of the following factors are applicable. Such a demand may either be denied, or conditionally granted in accordance with §15.204(c), if any such factors are applicable:

(i) Producing such material or providing such testimony would violate a statute or regulation;

(ii) Producing such material or providing such testimony would reveal classified, confidential, or privileged material;

(iii) Such material or testimony would be irrelevant to the legal proceeding;

(iv) Such material or testimony could be obtained from any other source;

(v) One or more documents, or a declaration or affidavit, could reasonably be provided in lieu of oral testimony;

(vi) The amount of employees' time necessary to comply with the demand would be unreasonable;

(vii) Production of the material or provision of the testimony would not be required under the rules of procedure governing the legal proceeding for which it is sought (e.g., unduly burdensome or otherwise inappropriate under the relevant rules governing discovery);

(viii) Producing such material or providing such testimony would impede a significant interest of the United States; or

(ix) The Department has any other legally cognizable objection to the release of such information or testimony in response to a demand.

(b) Once a determination has been made, the requester will be notified of the determination. If the demand is denied, the requestor shall be notified of the reasons for the denial. If the demand is conditionally approved, the requestor shall be notified of the conditions that have been imposed upon the production of the material or provision of the testimony demanded, and the reasons for the conditional approval of the demand.

(c) The Authorized Approving Official may impose conditions or restrictions on the production of any material or provision of any testimony. Such conditions or restrictions may include the following:

(1) A requirement that the parties to the legal proceeding obtain a protective order or execute a confidentiality agreement to limit access to, and limit any further disclosure of, material or testimony;

(2) A requirement that the requester accept examination of documentary material on HUD premises in lieu of production of copies;

(3) A limitation on the subject areas of testimony permitted;

(4) A requirement that testimony of a HUD employee be provided by deposition at a location prescribed by HUD or by written declaration;

(5) A requirement that the parties to the legal proceeding agree that a transcript of the permitted testimony be kept under seal or will only be used or only made available in the particular legal proceeding for which testimony was demanded;

(6) A requirement that the requester purchase an extra copy of the transcript of the employee's testimony from the court reporter and provide the Department with a copy at the requester's expense; or

(7) Any other condition or restriction deemed to be in the best interests of the United States, including reimbursement of costs to the Department.

(d) The determination made with respect to the production of material or provision of testimony pursuant to this subpart is within the sole discretion of the Authorized Approving Official and shall constitute final agency action from which no administrative appeal is available.

[73 FR 72205, Nov. 26, 2008]