(a) A denial of a request for records, either in whole or in part, may be appealed in writing to the Chief FOIA Officer within 30 working days of the date of the letter denying an initial request.

(b) Appeals may be sent via email to [email protected] or by mail to: Chief FOIA Officer, Office of Science and Technology Policy, Eisenhower Executive Office Building, 1650 Pennsylvania Ave. NW., Washington, DC 20504. Updates to this contact information will be made on the OSTP Web site. The appeal letter should specify the internal control number assigned to the FOIA request by OSTP in its response, the records requested, and the basis for the appeal.

(c) The Chief FOIA Officer shall make a determination on the appeal under 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(6)(A)(ii) within 20 working days after the receipt of the appeal. If the denial is wholly or partially upheld, the Chief FOIA Officer shall:

(1) Notify the requester that judicial review is available pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(4)(B)-(G); and

(2) Notify the requester that the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) offers mediation services to resolve disputes between FOIA requesters and Federal agencies as a non-exclusive alternative to litigation. OGIS' contact information is: Office of Government Information Services, National Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road-OGIS, College Park, MD 20740, Email: [email protected], Telephone: 202-741-5770, Facsimile: 202-741-5769, Toll-free: 1-877-684-6448.

(d) If OGIS' services are requested, OSTP will work with OGIS and the FOIA requester to resolve any dispute as a non-exclusive alternative to litigation.