Title 22, Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-110

§4138 Access to Records

Title 22 › CHAPTER 52 — FOREIGN SERVICE › SUBCHAPTER XI — GRIEVANCES › § 4138

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Lets the Foreign Service Grievance Board get agency records it needs to decide a complaint. If the person who filed the complaint was denied a record, they can tell the Board. The Board can ask for any agency record it thinks is relevant and important. An agency must give those records unless the agency head or deputy head personally certifies in writing that sharing them would harm U.S. national security or foreign policy or is forbidden by law. If the agency makes that certification, it must give the Board a summary or extract unless even a summary would cause the same harm or is barred. If the Board finds a record or its summary is relevant, the agency must give that record or summary to the person who filed the complaint. The Board may consider denied access when deciding the case. The person who filed the complaint can see the Board’s case file and decision.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §4138

Foreign Relations and Intercourse, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Review by Foreign Service Grievance Board of decision denying access

If a grievant is denied access to any agency record prior to or during the consideration of the grievance by the Department, the grievant may raise such denial before the Board in connection with the grievance.

(b)Access by Foreign Service Grievance Board; relevant and material records; adverse effect on national security or foreign policy

In considering a grievance, the Board shall have access to any agency record as follows:

(1)(A)The Board shall request access to any agency record which the grievant requests to substantiate the grievance if the Board determines that such record may be relevant and material to the grievance.

(B)The Board may request access to any other agency record which the Board determines may be relevant and material to the grievance.

(2)Any agency shall make available to the Board any agency record requested under paragraph (1) unless the head or deputy head of such agency personally certifies in writing to the Board that disclosure of the record to the Board and the grievant would adversely affect the foreign policy or national security of the United States or that such disclosure is prohibited by law. If such a certification is made with respect to any record, the agency shall supply to the Board a summary or extract of such record unless the reasons specified in the preceding sentence preclude such a summary or extract.

(c)Access by grievant

If the Board determines that an agency record, or a summary or extract of a record, made available to the Board under subsection (b) is relevant and material to the grievance, the agency concerned shall make such record, summary, or extract, as the case may be, available to the grievant.

(d)Denial of access as factor in determination of grievance

In considering a grievance, the Board may take into account the fact that the grievant or the Board was denied access to an agency record which the Board determines is or may be relevant and material to the grievance.

(e)Proceedings and decisions of Foreign Service Grievance Board

The grievant in any case decided by the Board shall have access to the record of the proceedings and the decision of the Board.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 4138

Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110