---
kind: "section"
citation: "43 C.F.R. § 2.56"
title: "43"
number: "2.56"
heading: "May the bureau waive or reduce your fees at its discretion?"
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/43/2.56"
---

# §2.56. May the bureau waive or reduce your fees at its discretion?

- (a) The bureau may waive or reduce fees at its discretion if a request involves furnishing:
  - (1) A copy of a record that the bureau has reproduced for free distribution;
  - (2) One copy of a personal document (for example, a birth certificate) to a person who has been required to furnish it for retention by the Department;
  - (3) One copy of the transcript of a hearing before a hearing officer in a grievance or similar proceeding to the employee for whom the hearing was held;
  - (4) Records to donors with respect to their gifts;
  - (5) Records to individuals or private nonprofit organizations having an official, voluntary, or cooperative relationship with the Department if it will assist their work with the Department;
  - (6) A reasonable number of records to members of the U.S. Congress; state, local, and foreign governments; public international organizations; or Indian tribes, when to do so is an appropriate courtesy, or when the recipient is carrying on a function related to a Departmental function and the waiver will help accomplish the Department's work;
  - (7) Records in conformance with generally established business custom (for example, furnishing personal reference data to prospective employers of current or former Department employees); or
  - (8) One copy of a single record to assist you in obtaining financial benefits to which you may be entitled (for example, veterans or their dependents, employees with Government employee compensation claims).
- (b) **You cannot appeal the denial of a discretionary fee waiver or reduction.**

## Notes

### Source

Source: 77 FR 76906, Dec. 31, 2012, unless otherwise noted.

### Authority

Authority: 5 U.S.C. 301, 552, 552a, 553, 31 U.S.C. 3717, 43 U.S.C. 1460, 1461, the Social Security Number Fraud Prevention Act of 2017, Pub. L. 115-59, September 15, 2017.

### Source

Source: 40 FR 7305, Feb. 19, 1975, unless otherwise noted.