the Office of Defense Trade Controls from submitting such a report.

§ 130.13 Information to be furnished to applicant, supplier or vendor by a recipient of a fee or commission.

(a) Every applicant or supplier, and each vendor thereof;

(1) In order to determine whether it is obliged under § 130.9 or § 130.12 to furnish information specified in §130.10 with respect to a sale; and

(2) Prior to furnishing such information, must obtain from each person, if any, to whom it has paid, or offered or agreed to pay, a fee or commission in respect of such sale, a timely statement containing a full disclosure by such a person of all political contributions paid, or offered or agreed to be paid, by it or on its behalf, or at its direction, in respect of such sale. Such disclosure must include responses to all the information required to enable the applicant, supplier or vendor, as the case may be, to comply fully with §§ 130.9, 130.10, and 130.12.

(b) In obtaining information under paragraph (a) of this section, the applicant, supplier or vendor, as the case may be, must also require each person to whom a fee or commission is paid, or offered or agreed to be paid, to furnish from time to time such reports of its political contributions as may be necessary to enable the applicant, supplier or vendor, as the case may be, to comply fully with §§ 130.9, 130.10, 130.11, and 130.12.

(c) The applicant supplier or vendor, as the case may be, must include any political contributions paid, or offered or agreed to be paid, by or on behalf of, or at the direction of, any person to whom it has paid, or offered or agreed to pay a fee or commission in determining whether applicant, supplier or vendor is required by §§ 130.9, 130.11, and 130.12 to furnish information specified in § 130.10.

§ 130.14 Recordkeeping.

Each applicant, supplier and vendor must maintain a record of any information it was required to furnish or obtain under this part and all records upon which its reports are based for a period of not less than five years fol

lowing the date of the report to which they pertain.

$130.15 Confidential business information.

(a) Any person who is required to furnish information under this part may identify any information furnished hereunder which the person considers to be confidential business information. No person, including any applicant or supplier, shall publish, divulge, disclose, or make known in any manner, any information so identified by a vendor or other person unless authorized by law or regulation.

(b) For purposes of this section, confidential business information means commercial or financial information which by law is entitled to protection from disclosure. (See, e.g., 5 U.S.C. 552(b) (3) and (4); 18 U.S.C. 1905; 22 U.S.C. 2778(e); Rule 26(c)(7), Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.)

§ 130.16 Other reporting requirements.

The submission of reports under this part does not relieve any person of any requirements to furnish information to any federal, state, or municipal agency, department or other instrumentality as required by law, regulation or contract.

§ 130.17 Utilization of and access to reports and records.

(a) All information reported and records maintained under this part will be made available, upon request for utilization by standing committees of the Congress and subcommittees thereof, and by United States Government agencies, in accordance with section 39(d) of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2779(d)), and reports based upon such information will be subImitted to Congress in accordance with sections 36(a)(8) and 36(b)(1) of that Act (22 U.S.C. 2776 (a)(8) and (b)(1)).

(b) All confidential business information provided pursuant to this part shall be protected against disclosure to the extent provided by law.

(c) Nothing in this section shall preclude the furnishing of information to foreign governments for law enforcement or regulatory purposes under international arrangements between

[61 FR 39585, July 30, 1996]

§ 131.2 Refusal of certification for unlawful purpose.

(a) The Department will not certify to a document when it has good reason to believe that the certification is desired for an unlawful or improper purpose. It is therefore the duty of the Authentication Officer to examine not only the document which the Deparment is asked to authenticate, but also the fundamental document to which previous seals or other certifications may have been affixed by other authorities. The Authentication Officer shall request such additional information as may be necessary to establish that the requested authentication will

serve the interests of justice and is not contrary to public policy.

(b) In accordance with section 3, paragraph 5 of the Export Administration Act of 1969 (83 Stat. 841, Pub. L. 91– 184) approved December 30, 1969, documents which have the effect of furthering or supporting the restrictive trade practices or boycotts fostered or imposed by foreign countries against countries friendly to the United States shall be considered contrary to public policy for purposes of these regulations.

(R.S. 203. sec. 4, 63 Stat. 111, as amended, sec. 1733, 62 Stat. 946, secs. 104, 332, 66 Stat. 174, 252; 22 U.S.C. 2657, 2658, 28 U.S.C. 1733, 8 U.S.C. 1104, 1443)

[22 FR 10882, Dec. 27, 1957, as amended at 30 FR 12732, Oct. 6, 1965; Dept. Reg. 108.621, 35 FR 8887, June 9, 1970]

The purchase by the Department of State of books, maps, newspapers, periodicals, and other publications shall be made without regard to the provisions of the act approved March 3, 1933 (sec. 2, 47 Stat. 1520; 41 U.S.C. 10a), since determination has been made by the Secretary, as permitted by the provisions of the act, that such purchase is inconsistent with the public interest.

(80 Stat. 379; 5 U.S.C. 301)

[22 FR 10883, Dec. 27, 1957]

134.28 Further Department of State review. 134.29 Judicial review.

134.30 Payment of award.

AUTHORITY: Sec. 203(a)(1), Pub. L. 96-481, 94 Stat. 2325 (5 U.S.C. 504(c)(1)).

SOURCE: 46 FR 58301, Dec. 1, 1981, unless otherwise noted.

Subpart A-General Provisions $134.1 Purpose of these rules.

The Equal Access to Justice Act, 5 U.S.C. 504 (called "the Act" in this part), provides for the award of attorney fees and other expenses to eligible individuals and entities who are parties to certain administrative proceedings (called "adversary adjudications") before the Department of State. An eligible party may receive an award when it prevails over the Department of State, unless the Department of State's position in the proceeding was substantially justified or special circumstances make an award unjust. The rules in this part describe the parties eligible for awards and the proceedings that are covered. They also explain how to apply for awards, and the procedures and standards that the Department will observe to make them.

§ 134.2 When the Act applies.

The Act applies to any adversary adjudication pending before the Department of State at any time between October 1, 1981 and September 30, 1984. This includes proceedings begun before October 1, 1981 if final agency action has not been taken before that date, and proceedings pending on September 30, 1984, regardless of when they were

initiated or when final agency action

occurs.

§ 134.3 Proceedings covered.

(a) The Act applies to adversary adjudications conducted by the Department of State. These are adjudications under 5 U.S.C. 554 in which the position of the Department of State is presented by an attorney or other representative who enters an appearance and participates in the proceeding. For the Department of State, the type of proceeding covered are proceedings relative to controlling export of defense articles through administrative sanctions pursuant to 22 U.S.C. 2778 and 50 U.S.C. App. 2410 (c)(2)(B).

(b) The Department of State may also designate a proceeding not listed in paragraph (a) of this section as an adversary adjudication for purposes of the Act by so stating in an order initiating the proceeding or designating the matter for hearing. The failure to designate a proceeding as an adversary adjudication shall not preclude the filing of an application by a party who believes the proceeding is covered by the Act; whether the proceeding is covered will then be an issue for resolution in proceedings on the application.

(c) If a proceeding includes matters covered by the Act and matters specifically excluded from coverage, any award made will include only fees and expenses related to covered issues.

§ 134.4 Eligibility of applicants.

(a) To be eligible for an award of attorney fees and other expenses under the Act, the applicant must be a party to the adversary adjudication for which it seeks an award. The term "party" is defined in 5 U.S.C. 551(3). The applicant must show by clear and convincing evidence that it meets all conditions of eligibility set out in this subpart and in subpart B and must submit additional information to verify its eligibility upon order by the adjudicative officer.

(b) The types of eligible applicants are as follows:

(1) An individual with a net worth of not more than $1 million;

(2) The sole owner of an unincorporated business who has a net worth of not more than $5 million, including

both personal and business interests, and not more than 500 employees;

(3) A charitable or other tax-exempt organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3)) with not more than 500 employees;

(4) A cooperative association as defined in section 15(a) of the Agricultural Marketing Act (12 U.S.C. 1141j(a)) with not more than 500 employees; and

(5) Any other partnership, corporation, association, or public or private organization with a net worth of not more than $5 million and not more than 500 employees.

(c) For the purpose of eligibility, the net worth and number of employees of an applicant shall be determined as of the date the proceeding was initiated.

(d) An applicant who owns an unincorporated business will be considered as an "individual" rather than a "sole owner of an unincorporated business" if the issues on which the applicant prevails are related primarily to personal interests rather than to business interests.

(e) The employees of an applicant include all persons who regularly perform services for remuneration for the applicant, under the applicant's direction and control. Part-time employees shall be included on a proportional basis.

(f) The net worth and number of employees of the applicant and all of its affiliates shall be aggregated to determine eligibility. Any individual, corporation or other entity that directly or indirectly controls or owns a majority of the voting shares or other interest of the applicant, or any corporation or other entity of which the applicant directly or indirectly owns or controls a majority of the voting shares or other interest, will be considered an affiliate for purposes of this part, unless the adjudicative officer determines that such treatment would be unjust and contrary to the purposes of the Act in light of the actual relationship between the affiliated entities. In addition, the adjudicative officer may determine that financial relationships of the applicant other than those described in this paragraph constitute special circumstances that would make an award unjust.

(g) An applicant that participates in a proceeding primarily on behalf of one or more other persons or entities that would be ineligible is not itself eligible for an award.

$134.5

Standard for awards.

(a) A prevailing applicant may receive an award for fees and expenses incurred in connection with a proceeding, or in a significant and discrete substantive portion of the proceeding, unless the position of the agency over which the applicant has prevailed was substantially justified. The burden of proof that an award should not be made to an eligible prevailing applicant is on the Department of State which may avoid an award by showing that its position was reasonable in law and fact.

(b) An award will be reduced or denied if the applicant has unduly or unreasonably protracted the proceeding or if special circumstances make the award sought unjust.

§ 134.6 Allowable fees and expenses.

(a) Awards will be based on rates customarily charged by persons engaged in the business of acting as attorneys, agents and expert witnesses, even if the services were made available without charge or at a reduced rate to the applicant.

(b) No award for the fee of an attorney or agent under these rules may exceed $75.00 per hour. No award to compensate an expert witness may exceed the highest rate at which the Department of State pays expert witnesses, which is generally $50.00 per hour. However, an award may also include the reasonable expenses of the attorney, agent or witness as a separate item, if the attorney, agent or witness ordinarily charges clients separately for such expenses.

(c) In determining the reasonableness of the fee sought for an attorney, agent or expert witness, the adjudicative officer shall consider the following:

(1) If the attorney, agent or witness is in private practice, his or her customary fee for similar services, or, if an employee of the applicant, the fully allocated cost of the services;

(2) The prevailing rate for similar services in the community in which the