PART 1644 - DISCLOSURE OF CASE INFORMATION

Authority:

Pub. L. 105-119, 111 Stat. 2440, Sec. 505; Pub. L. 104-134, 110 Stat. 1321; 42 U.S.C. 2996g(a).

Source:

63 FR 33254, June 18, 1994, unless otherwise noted.

§ 1644.1 Purpose.

The purpose of this rule is to ensure that recipients disclose to the public and to the Corporation certain information on cases filed in court by their attorneys.

§ 1644.2 Definitions.

For the purposes of this part:

(a) To disclose the cause of action means to provide a sufficient description of the case to indicate the type r principal nature of the case.

(b) Recipient means any entity receiving funds from the Corporation pursuant to a grant or contract under section 1006(a)(1)(A) of the Act.

(c) Attorney means any full-time or part-time attorney employed by the recipient as a regular or contract employee.

§ 1644.3 Applicability.

(a) The case disclosure requirements of this part apply:

(1) To actions filed on behalf of plaintiffs or petitioners who are clients of a recipient;

(2) Only to the original filing of a case, except for appeals filed in appellate courts by a recipient if the recipient was not the attorney of record in the case below and the recipient's client is the appellant;

(3) To a request filed on behalf of a client of the recipient in a court of competent jurisdiction for judicial review of an administrative action; and

(4) To cases filed pursuant to subgrants under 45 CFR part 1627 for the direct representation of eligible clients, except for subgrants for private attorney involvement activities under part 1614 of this chapter.

(b) This part does not apply to any cases filed by private attorneys as part of a recipient's private attorney involvement activities pursuant to part 1614 of this chapter.

§ 1644.4 Case disclosure requirement.

(a) For each case filed in court by its attorneys on behalf of a client of the recipient after January 1, 1998, a recipient shall disclose, in accordance with the requirements of this part, the following information:

(1) The name and full address of each party to a case, unless:

(i) the information is protected by an order or rule of court or by State or Federal law; or

(ii) the recipient's attorney reasonably believes that revealing such information would put the client of the recipient at risk of physical harm;

(2) The cause of action;

(3) The name and full address of the court where the case is filed; and

(4) The case number assigned to the case by the court.

(b) Recipients shall provide the information required in paragraph (a) of this section to the Corporation in semiannual reports in the manner specified by the Corporation. Recipients may file such reports on behalf of their subrecipients for cases that are filed under subgrants. Reports filed with the Corporation will be made available by the Corporation to the public upon request pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552.

(c) Upon request, a recipient shall make the information required in paragraph (a) of this section available in written form to any person. Recipients may charge a reasonable fee for mailing and copying documents.

§ 1644.5 Recipient policies and procedures.

Each recipient shall adopt written policies and procedures to implement the requirements of this part.