The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was enacted to give any person the right to request access to federal agency records that are not otherwise protected from disclosure by legal exemptions and exclusions (e.g., classified national security, business proprietary, personal privacy, and investigative documents.) See 5 U.S.C. 552.
How to Submit FOIA Requests:
To Initiate a FOIA Request:
You must submit your information request to the Department of Treasury's Office of Disclosure Services. Your request may not be submitted directly to the CDFI Fund. For further information regarding how to submit your FOIA request, please visit: https://home.treasury.gov/footer/freedom-of-information-act
Prior to submitting your request, you may choose to review the CDFI Fund’s list of previously requested and subsequently released material pursuant to the FOIA. Because these materials were previously released, requestors are able to receive the materials more quickly and with minimal fees.
Click Here to access the CDFI Fund’s list of previously released FOIA materials.
Click Here to access The Department of the Treasury FOIA page and to submit your FOIA request.
Once submitted, FOIA requests are placed in one of three tracks for timely processing. Track one is for those requests which seek and receive expedited processing pursuant to subsection (a)(6)(E) of the FOIA. The second track is for those requests which do not involve voluminous records or lengthy consultations with other entities. Track three is for those requests which involve voluminous records and for which lengthy or numerous consultations are required, or those requests which may involve sensitive records.
For Requestors with Pending FOIA Applications:
Once the CDFI Fund receives notification of your FOIA request from the Department of Treasury's Office of Disclosure Services, the CDFI Fund’s FOIA staff will be available to answer questions and provide status updates. Please contact FOIA@cdfi.treas.gov with inquiries. Please have your FOIA tracking number available when contacting the CDFI Fund.
Final Opinions/Orders:
Subsection (a)(2) of the FOIA, as amended, requires the CDFI Fund to maintain access to final opinions, including concurring and dissenting opinions, as well as orders, made in the adjudication of cases arising under the FOIA involving the CDFI Fund. Click here to access the final opinions and orders.
CDFI Fund FOIA Protocol:
Fees
Fees are assessed for most FOIA requests. The rate is dependent upon the requestor’s classification in one of five of categories. These categories include: commercial users, educational institutions, non-commercial scientific institutions, representatives of the news media, and an “all other” categories intended for requesters not fitting into any of the previous categories. In accordance with 31 C.F.R. § 1.7(e), fee correspondence are mailed to the requestor. Please reference https://www.treasury.gov/FOIA/faq#Q16 for additional information regarding fees.
Initial Business Submitter Notification
Initial business submitter notifications are sent to the applicants, awardees, and other entities ("business submitters") whose records are requested under FOIA. The business submitter should respond with specific objections under FOIA to the disclosure of the requested records within 10 business days.
Review of requested documents
Documents are reviewed to assess all specific objections raised by the business submitter, in writing, to the disclosure of any material under the FOIA exemptions or U.S. Code Title 26, Part 6103 (Taxpayer Information provisions).
Final Business Submitter Notification
Business submitters are notified 10 business days prior to the release of information and provided with a final notification letter indicating whether the requested material will be disclosed and what information has been protected from disclosure pursuant to FOIA exemptions or 26 U.S.C. §6103.
For more information, please visit: https://home.treasury.gov/footer/freedom-of-information-act