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PURPOSE: This Directive establishes the Mint Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Program.
SCOPE: All Mint activities.
OUTCOME: The uniform and consistent disclosure of Mint information made in accordance with applicable FOIA rules and regulations.
POLICY: The Mint will conduct its FOIA Program in accordance with FOIA rules and regulations and in the spirit of providing requestors their appropriate and rightful access to information maintained by the Mint.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. The Director of the Mint, as the Mint FOIA Appeals Officer, is responsible for signing all final responses to FOIA appeals.
2. The Assistant Director for Information Technology is responsible for:
  1. establishing internal procedures consistent with all applicable Federal rules and regulations to ensure the effectiveness of the Mint's FOIA Program;
  2. ensuring that employees who are responsible in any part for FOIA processing are knowledgeable about the provisions and requirements of the FOIA and ensuring that these employees attend FOIA training at least once a year.
3. The Mint Disclosure Officer (DO) is responsible for:
  1. managing the Mint FOIA Program;
  2. providing Program guidance, technical advice, and assistance;
  3. determining and responding to requests for information, FOIA and related actions (e.g., fees, waivers);
  4. processing all FOIA requests;
  5. conducting appropriate and necessary correspondence with requestors and liaison with other responsible parties/participants;
  6. keeping Mint respondents informed of due dates and seeking on a case-by-case basis the support of the Director's Office in obtaining responses that are past due;
  7. providing copies of requests from Congress to the Deputy Director and agency Legislative Liaison;
  8. providing copies of requests from the media to the Public Affairs Officer;
  9. conducting or providing for Mint-wide FOIA training on a regular and systematic basis;
  10. maintaining liaison with offices and agencies that have FOIA responsibilities that impact the Mint.
4. The Office of Chief Counsel is responsible for providing legal advice and reviewing all FOIA appeals.
5. Associate Directors, Plant Managers, and Assistant Directors are responsible for:
  1. forwarding requests for FOIA information immediately to the DO;
  2. designating staff to support the DO in determining if requested information exists, is maintained by the unit, and can be provided to the DO within the allotted time period.
CRITICAL REQUIREMENTS:
1. All requests made under the FOIA must be made in writing.
2. Standard exclusions will be applied to Mint FOIA requests.
3. Applicable fees of $25 or more will be charged to the requestor. Additional charges will be made in accordance with the fee schedule contained in 31 CFR 1.7.
4. Requests will be processed within 20 workdays of the DO receiving the request.
5. Requesters will be informed of the right and the procedures involved to seek administrative appeal and judicial review of:
  1. any partial or total denial of access to records;
  2. a fee waiver denial;
  3. an expedited processing denial;
  4. a determination of the requester's category for fee purposes;
  5. a "no records" determination.
AUTHORITY:
1. Freedom of Information Act, Title 5, United States Code, Section 552, as amended;
2. Title 31,CFR, Part 1, Subpart A;
3. Executive Order 12600, "Pre-disclosure Notification Procedures for Confidential Commercial Information";
4. Executive Order 12958, "Classified National Security Information";
5. Treasury Directive 25-05, "The Freedom of Information Act";
6. Treasury's "Freedom of Information Act Handbook", TD P 25-05;
7. Applicable Department of Justice, OMB, and NARA guidelines.
CANCELLATION: Mint Directive MD 7B-7, dated January 1998.
SUNSET REVIEW DATE: June 2006.
RESPONSIBLE OFFICE: Office of the Chief Information Officer, Office of Information Technology.

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