5 U.S.C. § 13107 Custody of and Public Access to Reports

• Library: United States Statutes
• Edition: 2023
• Currency: Current through P.L. 118-34 (published on www.congress.gov on 12/26/2023), except for [P. L. 118-31]
• Year: 2023
• Citation: 5 U.S.C. § 13107

(a) AVAILABILITY OF REPORTS TO PUBLIC.-Each agency, each supervising ethics office in the executive or judicial branch, the Clerk of the House of Representatives, and the Secretary of the Senate shall make available to the public, in accordance with subsection (b), each report filed under this subchapter with such agency or office or with the Clerk or the Secretary of the Senate, except that-

(1) this section does not require public availability of a report filed by any individual in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, or the National Security Agency, or any individual engaged in intelligence activities in any agency of the United States, if the President finds or has found that, due to the nature of the office or position occupied by such individual, public disclosure of such report would, by revealing the identity of the individual or other sensitive information, compromise the national interest of the United States; and such individuals may be authorized, notwithstanding section 13106(a) of this title, to file such additional reports as are necessary to protect their identity from public disclosure if the President first finds or has found that such filing is necessary in the national interest; and

(2) any report filed by an independent counsel whose identity has not been disclosed by the division of the court under chapter 40 of title 28, and any report filed by any person appointed by that independent counsel under such chapter, shall not be made available to the public under this subchapter.

(b) INSPECTION OF REPORTS.-

(1) IN GENERAL.-Except as provided in the second sentence of this subsection, each agency, each supervising ethics office in the executive or judicial branch, the Clerk of the House of Representatives, and the Secretary of the Senate shall, within 30 days after any report is received under this subchapter by such agency or office or by the Clerk or the Secretary of the Senate, as the case may be, permit inspection of such report by or furnish a copy of such report to any person requesting such inspection or copy. With respect to any report required to be filed by May 15 of any year, such report shall be made available for public inspection within 30 calendar days after May 15 of such year or within 30 days of the date of filing of such a report for which an extension is granted pursuant to section 13103(g) of this title. The agency, office, Clerk, or Secretary of the Senate, as the case may be, may require a reasonable fee to be paid in any amount which is found necessary to recover the cost of reproduction or mailing of such report excluding any salary of any employee involved in such reproduction or mailing. A copy of such report may be furnished without charge or at a reduced charge if it is determined that waiver or reduction of the fee is in the public interest.

(2) PROCEDURE FOR REQUESTING REPORTS.-Notwithstanding paragraph (1), a report may not be made available under this section to any person nor may any copy of the report be provided under this section to any person except upon a written application by such person stating-

(A) that person's name, occupation, and address;

(B) the name and address of any other person or organization on whose behalf the inspection or copy is requested; and

(C) that such person is aware of the prohibitions on the obtaining or use of the report.

Any such application shall be made available to the public throughout the period during which the report is made available to the public.

(3) JUDICIAL EMPLOYEES AND OFFICERS.-

(A) IN GENERAL.-This section does not require the immediate and unconditional availability of reports filed by an individual described in paragraph (9) or (10) of section 13101 of this title if a finding is made by the Judicial Conference, in consultation with the United States Marshals Service, that revealing personal and sensitive information could endanger that individual or a family member of that individual.

(B) REDACTION.-A report may be redacted pursuant to this paragraph only-

(i) to the extent necessary to protect the individual who filed the report or a family member of that individual; and

(ii) for as long as the danger to such individual exists.

(C) REDACTION REPORT.-The Administrative Office of the United States Courts shall submit to the Committees on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and of the Senate and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the House Committee on Oversight and Reform an annual report with respect to the operation of this paragraph including-

(i) the total number of reports redacted pursuant to this paragraph;

(ii) the total number of individuals whose reports have been redacted pursuant to this paragraph;

(iii) the types of threats against individuals whose reports are redacted, if appropriate;

(iv) the nature or type of information redacted;

(v) what steps or procedures are in place to ensure that sufficient information is available to litigants to determine if there is a conflict of interest;

(vi) principles used to guide implementation of redaction authority; and

(vii) any public complaints received relating to redaction.

(D) REGULATIONS.-The Judicial Conference, in consultation with the Department of Justice, shall issue regulations setting forth the circumstances under which redaction is appropriate under this paragraph and the procedures for redaction.