OAR 274-020-0411: Disclosure of Information and Fees

(1) Information in the custody of the Director of Veterans' Affairs (director) will be disclosed, or protected from disclosure, consistent with the provisions of ORS Chapter 192. (2) Requests for information can be made verbally, but the director reserves the right to require the request to be in writing, signed and dated, naming or describing the information desired and the date the information is needed. A reasonable period of time must be allowed for the custodian of the records to locate and assemble the requested information. Restrictions may be placed upon where the information will be delivered or made available for inspection. The director shall designate a staff employee to be the department's records custodian, whose function is to perform the duties necessary to manage the department's records in accordance with all applicable laws. These duties may include, but are not limited to, certifying records to be true copies of the original documents on file in the custody of the director. (3) Mailing lists of Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs (ODVA) active account holders, and Vets News recipients, may be made available upon payment of the required fee. The mailing lists will not contain the names of persons who submit a written request for deletion of their name from the list on the basis that such disclosure would constitute an unreasonable invasion of privacy. (4) The following information will not be disclosed except pursuant to an order issued by the director or by the Attorney General of the State of Oregon: (a) Internal communications of an advisory nature preliminary to any final agency determination of policy or action; (b) The name of a confidential informant or information submitted to the department in confidence where submission of the information was not required and the department has obliged itself in good faith not to disclose the information. (5) The following information will not be disclosed except pursuant to an order issued by the Attorney General: (a) Information relating to the appraisal of real and personal property prior to making a loan secured by that property; (b) Information of a financial, medical, or personal nature relating to any individual, if such disclosure would constitute an unreasonable invasion of privacy. (6) Fees will be charged to reimburse the department the cost of making information available or for producing copies of records: (a) For mailing lists, the fee is derived from the actual production costs. The lists are available in alphabetical or zip code order; (b) The director may require reimbursement for any additional costs actually incurred by the department; (c) For all requests for copies of documents, the charge is based on the actual costs incurred for search of files and for documents provided; (d) For necessary safeguard of documents where a requestor is allowed to research records on department premises, a staff employee, designated by the director, must be present. The fee to be charged for this service will be equal to the hourly pay of the employee designated. In appointing an employee to safeguard departmental records, the director shall consider whether the pay range of the designated employee is reasonable and appropriate, reflecting the technicality and sensitivity of the documents being researched; (e) The director may waive the fees provided in subsections 6(a), 6(c) and 6(d) of this rule for city, county, state, and federal agencies, and for individuals obtaining information from their own files; (f) The director may require payment of any and all fees identified in this section, in a form satisfactory to the director, prior to providing any disclosure of documents or information. Advance charges for anticipated labor expenses may be made by the director on an estimated basis. (7) The purchase of a mailing list does not constitute permission to use ODVA's name in any marketing or advertising approach, whether expressly stated, inferred or implied.