§ 303.8 Public access to filing.

(a) General. For filings subject to a public notice requirement, any person may inspect or request a copy of the non-confidential portions of a filing (the public file) until 180 days following final disposition of a filing. Following the 180-day period, non-confidential portions of an application file will be made available in accordance with ' 303.8(c). The public file generally consists of portions of the filing, supporting data, supplementary information, and comments submitted by interested persons (if any) to the extent that the documents have not been afforded confidential treatment. To view or request photocopies of the public file, an oral or written request should be submitted to the appropriate FDIC office. The public file will be produced for review not more than one business day after receipt by the appropriate FDIC office of the request (either written or oral) to see the file. The FDIC may impose a fee for photocopying in accordance with § 309.5(f) of this chapter at the rates the FDIC publishes annually in the Federal Register.

(b) Confidential treatment. (1) The applicant may request that specific information be treated as confidential. The following information generally is considered confidential:

(i) Personal information, the release of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of privacy;

(ii) Commercial or financial information, the disclosure of which could result in substantial competitive harm to the submitter; and

(iii) Information, the disclosure of which could seriously affect the financial condition of any depository institution.

(2) If an applicant requests confidential treatment for information that the FDIC does not consider to be confidential, the FDIC may include that information in the public file after notifying the applicant. On its own initiative, the FDIC may determine that certain information should be treated as confidential and withhold that information from the public file.

(c) FOIA requests. A written request for information withheld from the public file, or copies of the public file following closure of the file 180 days after final disposition, should be submitted pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552) and part 309 of this chapter to the FDIC, Attn: FOIA/Privacy Group, Legal Division, 550 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20429.