§2706 Cost Reimbursement

Summary

Government agencies must pay the person or company that finds, gathers, copies, or gives them communications, records, or other information under sections 2702, 2703, or 2704. The payment must cover reasonable costs the provider directly incurred, including costs caused by disrupting normal operations of any electronic or remote computer service where the information is stored. The agency and the provider should agree on the fee. If they cannot agree, the court that issued the order (or the court that would handle a related criminal case if no order was issued) will set the fee. The pay rule does not apply to communications carriers’ telephone toll records and telephone listings obtained under section 2703, unless the court finds the required records are unusually voluminous or otherwise caused an undue burden; then the court may order payment.