Request for nondisclosure of information (Rule 903).
18 C.F.R. § 385.903
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01(a) For purposes of this section, nondisclosure means nondisclosure except as to the participants in the proceeding under conditions provided in paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section.
(b) If any person filing under this subpart claims that some or all of the information contained in a document is exempt from the mandatory public disclosure requirements of the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552), is information referred to in section 1905 of title 18 of the United States Code (18 U.S.C. 1905) (disclosure of confidential information), or is otherwise exempt by law from public disclosure, the person:
(1) Must request the presiding officer not to disclose such information, except to the participants in the proceeding under the conditions provided in paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section, which request the person must serve upon the participants in the proceeding;
(2) Must file, together with the document, a second copy of the document from which has been deleted the information for which the person requests nondisclosure and must indicate in the original document that the original document is exempt, or contains information which is exempt, from disclosure;
(3) Must include a statement specifying why the information is privileged or confidential, if the information for which nondisclosure is requested is claimed to come within the exception in 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4) for trade secrets and commercial or financial information;
(4) Must include a statement specifying the justification for nondisclosure, if the information for which nondisclosure is requested is not within the exception in 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4).
(c) If the person filing a document does not submit a second copy of the document from which the appropriate information has been deleted, the presiding officer may assume that there is no objection to public disclosure of the document in its entirety.
(d) If information is submitted in accordance with paragraph (b) of this section, the information will not be disclosed except as provided in the Freedom of Information Act, in accordance with part 388 of this subchapter and upon request in accordance with paragraph (e) of this section, to participants in the proceeding under the restrictions that the participants may not use or disclose the information except in the context of the proceeding conducted pursuant to this subpart and that the participants must return all copies of the information at the conclusion of the proceeding to the person who submitted the information under paragraph (b) of this section.
(e) At any time, a participant may request the presiding officer to direct a person submitting information under paragraph (b) of this section to provide that information to the participant requesting the information under this paragraph. The presiding officer will so direct if the participant requesting the information agrees:
(1) Not to use or disclose the information except in the context of the proceeding conducted pursuant to this subpart; and
(2) To return all copies of the information, at the conclusion of the proceeding, to the person submitting the information under paragraph (b) of this section.
(f) At any time, a participant may request the presiding officer to direct that the complete record of prior proceedings, including information determined by the Secretary to be exempt from disclosure, be made available to that participant by the Secretary. The presiding officer will so direct if the participant requesting the complete record agrees:
(1) Not to use or disclose the information determined to be exempt except in the context of the proceeding conducted pursuant to this subpart, and
(2) To return all copies of the information determined to be exempt to the presiding officer at the conclusion of the proceeding.
Source: eCFRURL: https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2024-07-01/title-18.xmlFetched: 7/26/2026