15 CFR 766.20 – Record for decision and availability of documents
(a) General. The transcript of hearings, exhibits, rulings, orders, all papers and requests filed in the proceedings and, for purposes of any appeal under § 766.21 of this part or review under § 766.22 of this part, the decision of the administrative law judge and such submissions as are provided for by §§ 766.21 and 766.22 of this part, will constitute the record and the exclusive basis for decision. When a case is settled after the service of a charging letter, the record will consist of any and all of the foregoing, as well as the settlement agreement and the order. When a case is settled before service of a charging letter, the record will consist of the proposed charging letter, the settlement agreement and the order.
(b) Restricted access. On the judge’s own motion, or on the motion of any party, the administrative law judge may direct that there be a restricted access portion of the record for any material in the record to which public access is restricted by law or by the terms of a protective order entered in the proceedings. A party seeking to restrict access to any portion of the record is responsible for submitting, at the time specified in § 766.20(c)(2) of this part, a version of the document proposed for public availability that reflects the requested deletion. The restricted access portion of the record will be placed in a separate file and the file will be clearly marked to avoid improper disclosure and to identify it as a portion of the official record in the proceedings. The administrative law judge may act at any time to permit material that becomes declassified or unrestricted through passage of time to be transferred to the unrestricted access portion of the record.
(c) Availability of documents—(1) Scope. (i) For proceedings started on or after October 12, 1979, all charging letters, answers, initial and recommended decisions, and orders disposing of a case will be made available for public inspection in the BIS Freedom of Information Records Inspection Facility, U.S. Department of Commerce, Room H-6624, 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20230. The complete record for decision, as defined in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section will be made available on request. In addition, all decisions of the Under Secretary on appeal pursuant to § 766.22 of this part and those final orders providing for denial, suspension or revocation of export privileges shall be published in the
(ii) For proceedings started before October 12, 1979, the public availability of the record for decision will be governed by the applicable regulations in effect when the proceedings were begun.
(2) Timing—(i) Antiboycott cases. For matters relating to part 760 of the EAR, documents are available immediately upon filing, except for any portion of the record for which a request for segregation is made. Parties that seek to restrict access to any portion of the record under paragraph (b) of this section must make such a request, together with the reasons supporting the claim of confidentiality, simultaneously with the submission of material for the record.
(ii) Other cases. In all other cases, documents other than charging letters filed on or after June 2, 2022, will be available only after the final administrative disposition of the case. In these cases, parties desiring to restrict access to any portion of the record under paragraph (b) of this section must assert their claim of confidentiality, together with the reasons for supporting the claim, before the close of the proceeding.