PART 1258—FEES Authority: 44 U.S.C. 2116(c) and 44 U.S.C. 2307. Source: 76 FR 62632, October 11, 2011, unless otherwise noted. § 1258.1 [Reserved] § 1258.2 What definitions apply to the regulations in this part? Accession Archival records Certification Cost etc. Custodial units Fee Records center records § 1258.4 What costs make up the NARA fees? (a) 44 U.S.C. 2116(c) allows the NATF to recover all of its costs for providing records reproduction services to the public. The vast majority of materials that are reproduced are from the holdings of NARA, which require special handling, due to the age, condition and historical significance. Examples of special handling include the following: (1) The placement of each record by hand on the reproduction equipment. (2) Clarity and legibility of the reproduced records. (3) Inability to use automatic document feeders. (b) The NATF costs, at a minimum, include: (1) Salaries and benefits of the NATF staff involved in all aspects of the records reproduction process (includes, but is not limited to, compensation for full- and part-time employees, temporary appointments, overtime, awards, Civil Service Retirement Service and Federal Employees' Retirement System contributions, health benefits, life insurance benefits and Thrift Savings Plan contributions). (2) Travel and transportation (includes, but is not limited to, travel and transportation of persons, transportation of things, and contract mail service). (3) Rent, communications and utilities (includes, but is not limited to, telecommunications, equipment rental, and postage). (4) Printing and reproductions (includes, but is not limited to, commercial printing, advertising, and printing of forms). (5) Consulting and other services (includes, but is not limited to, management and professional services, contract labor, work performed in support of reproduction orders, and maintenance of equipment). (6) Payments to other agencies/funds (includes, but is not limited to, reimbursements and payments to other agencies and other funds within NARA). Specifically, the NATF “hires” the NARA custodial units to do reproduction work. In return, the NATF reimburses the custodial units for the cost of salaries and benefits. (7) Supplies and materials (includes, but is not limited to, general supplies, and materials and parts). (8) Depreciation (spreading the cost of an asset over the span of several years). (9) System upgrades/replacement (includes, but is not limited to, installation of operating equipment, software upgrades, and system changes). § 1258.6 How does NARA calculate fees for individual products? NARA calculates the fees for individual products using the following: (a) Cost summary. (b) Percent of revenue. (c) Actual cost percent calculation. (d) Forecasted volume. (e) Reimbursements to the custodial units. (f) Additional cost allocation. (g) Fee calculation. This calculation is completed for each product. (h) Final review. § 1258.8 How does NARA change fees for existing records reproductions? (a) The NATF conducts periodic reviews of its fees to ensure that the costs of providing services to the public are properly recovered. (b) Existing records reproduction fees may be adjusted annually based on the following factors: (1) Inflation. (2) The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) salary changes. (3) Reallocation of shared costs across product lines using the methodology described in § 1258.6. (4) The projected sales volume for the product. (5) The actual sales volume for the product. (6) The approval of the Archivist of the United States. (d) NARA will place a notice on our Web site ( http://www.archives.gov § 1258.10 How does NARA develop and publicize new records reproduction fees? (a) Custodial units prepare a justification proposal for a proposed records reproduction service and send the justification to the custodial unit office head, through appropriate channels, for concurrence and forwarding to NATF. The justification proposal includes, at a minimum, the following information: (1) Estimated monthly volume of product orders based on available historical data; (2) Identification of the equipment and supplies required to provide the product and service; (3) Brief description of the process required to provide the product and service, including the amount of time for each number and grade level of staff. (4) Identification of any services or products that will be replaced by the proposed products and services; (5) Identification of other NARA units that may have a demand for the proposed services; and (6) Any other relevant information. (b) After receiving the proposal, NATF staff: (1) Assesses the potential customer base for the proposed products and services, consulting other NARA offices. (2) If the potential demand does not warrant establishing fees for new records reproduction products and services, NATF notifies the proposing office that the new product and service are not approved and the reasons why. (3) If the potential demand warrants, NATF prepares a cost analysis following the methodology in § 1258.6 and develops a proposed recommended fee for review by NARA's Financial Resources Division and approval by the Archivist of the United States. (c) Notification of new records reproduction services and trial periods: http://www.archives.gov, (2) New records reproduction services fees have an initial trial period of one year. During this time, the public is encouraged to provide feedback to NARA about the new records reproduction services and their fees as directed in the notification of the new services. (3) Prior to the expiration of a trial period, NATF will assess the validity of the fees for the new records reproduction products and services, and make one of three determinations: (i) Retain products, services and fees; (ii) Retain products or services but adjust fees up or down; or (iii) Discontinue products or services. (d) The public will be notified of NATF determination, including business case for determination, in NARA research rooms nationwide, on-line at http://www.archives.gov, § 1258.12 When does NARA provide records reproductions without charge? At the discretion of the Secretary of the NATF, customers are not charged a fee for records reproductions or certifications in the instances described in this section. (a) When NARA furnishes copies of records to other elements of the Federal Government. However, a fee may be charged if the appropriate director determines that the service cannot be performed without reimbursement; (b) When NARA wishes to disseminate information about its activities to the general public through press, radio, television, and newsreel representatives; (c) When the reproduction is to furnish the donor of a document or other gift with a copy of the original; (d) When the reproduction is for individuals or associations having official voluntary or cooperative relations with NARA in its work; (e) When the reproduction is for a foreign, State, or local government or an international agency and furnishing it without charge is an appropriate courtesy; and (f) For records of other Federal agencies in NARA Federal records centers only: (1) When furnishing the service free conforms to generally established business custom, such as furnishing personal reference data to prospective employers of former Government employees; (2) When the reproduction of not more than one copy of the document is required to obtain from the Government financial benefits to which the requesting person may be entitled ( e.g., (3) When the reproduction of not more than one copy of a hearing or other formal proceeding involving security requirements for Federal employment is requested by a person directly concerned in the hearing or proceeding; and (4) When the reproduction of not more than one copy of a document is for a person who has been required to furnish a personal document to the Government ( e.g., § 1258.16 What is NARA's refund policy? Due to various factors, it is occasionally difficult for NARA to make a legible reproduction. NARA will notify customers and ask for approval to proceed if we anticipate a reproduction of questionable legibility. As a result, NARA does not provide refunds except in special cases. If a customer requests a refund, we review the order to determine if we properly notified the customer of the questionable nature of the original and if the product is a true representation of the original. If the product is a true representation of the original, we will not issue a refund. If you feel we processed your order incorrectly or it contains errors, please contact us within 30 days of your delivery date to have your issue verified. Once we verify the issue, we will correct the error and resend the documents. If we cannot correct the error, you will receive a refund. [81 FR 17611, Mar. 30, 2016, as amended at 83 FR 11146, Mar. 14, 2018] § 1258.18 Where can I find NARA's current fees and information on how to order reproductions? (a) NARA's fee schedule, methods of payment, and ordering portal are located at http://www.archives.gov. (b) Fee schedules for reproductions made from the holdings of Presidential libraries may differ because of regional cost variations. Presidential library fee schedules are available at http://www.archives.gov/presidential-libraries/. (c) In order to preserve certain records which are in poor physical condition, NARA may restrict customers to photographic or other kinds of duplication instead of electrostatic copies. [76 FR 62632, Oct. 11, 2011, as amended at 78 FR 59825, Sept. 30, 2013]