Title 15 - COMMERCE AND FOREIGN TRADE

PART 4--DISCLOSURE OF GOVERNMENT INFORMATION

Subpart A--Freedom of Information Act

Sec. 4.2  Public reference facilities.

    (a) The Department maintains public reference facilities (listed in 
Appendix A to this part) that contain the records the FOIA requires to 
be made regularly available for public inspection and copying; 
furnishes information; receives and processes requests for records 
under the FOIA; and otherwise assists the public concerning Department 
operations under the FOIA.
    (b) Each component of the Department shall determine which of its 
records are required to be made available for public inspection and 
copying, and make those records available either in its own public 
reference facility or in the Department's Central Reference and Records 
Inspection Facility. Each component shall maintain and make available 
for public inspection and copying a current subject-matter index of its 
public inspection facility records. Each index shall be updated 
regularly, at least quarterly, with respect to newly included records. 
In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a)(2), the Department has determined 
that it is unnecessary and impracticable to publish quarterly or more 
frequently and distribute copies of the index and supplements thereto.
    (c) Each component shall make public inspection facility records 
created on or after November 1, 1996 available electronically through 
the Department's ``FOIA Home Page'' link found at the Department's 
World Wide Web site (http://www.doc.gov). Information available at the 
site shall include:
    (1) Each component's index of its public inspection facility 
records, which indicates which records are available electronically; 
and
    (2) The general index referred to in paragraph (d)(3) of this 
section.
    (d) The Department shall maintain and make available for public 
inspection and copying:
    (1) A current index providing identifying information for the 
public as to any matter that is issued, adopted, or promulgated after 
July 4, 1997, and that is retained as a record and is required to be 
made available or published. Copies of the index are available upon 
request after payment of the direct cost of duplication;
    (2) Copies of records that have been released and that the 
component that maintains them determines, because of their subject 
matter, have become or are likely to become the subject of subsequent 
requests for substantially the same records;
    (3) A general index of the records described in paragraph (d)(2) of 
this section;
    (4) Final opinions and orders, including concurring and dissenting 
opinions made in the adjudication of cases;
    (5) Those statements of policy and interpretations that have been 
adopted by a component and are not published in the Federal Register; 
and
    (6) Administrative staff manuals and instructions to staff that 
affect a member of the public.