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Reports and Subpoenas

Reports and Subpoenas. Authority for Reporting and Subpoenas. Most state and federal agencies that have significant regulatory powers may require reporting under the general grant of authority

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Reports and Subpoenas

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  1. Reports and Subpoenas

  2. Authority for Reporting and Subpoenas • Most state and federal agencies that have significant regulatory powers may require reporting under the general grant of authority • If the agency has a limited grant of authority or does not have a regulatory role (CDC), they will need a specific authorization to require reporting • Subpoena power requires a specific grant of authority

  3. First Party or Third Party Reporting • First party reporting is reporting about your or your businesses own activities • Most of the book's discussion is about first party reporting • Can raise 4th & 5th amendment issues • Third party reporting is about other people • Privacy issues, but no 4th and 5th amendment issues

  4. 4th and 5th Amendment • Why are there no 4th and 5th amendment issues in third party reporting? • Self-incrimination? • Improper search? • Where does the silver platter doctrine come in? • How far can the government go in using third party reporting to avoid constitutional limits?

  5. State Police Power Reporting • The first agency reporting requirements were promulgated by state agencies • Communicable disease reporting began in the colonies and was carried over to the state and city governments • Reports of smallpox were critical to quarantines and vaccination programs • Third party reporting

  6. Contemporary Third Party Reporting • Communicable diseases • STIs • Tuberculosis • Vital statistics and disease registries • Child, spousal, and elder abuse • Violent injuries, including gun shots • Cash transactions over 10K • What else?

  7. What are the Privacy Issues? • What privacy issues are implicated by each of these types of reporting? • What about privilege issues? • Can child abuse reporting be applied to lawyers? • Priests? • Is there any medical privilege?

  8. Whalen v. Roe, 9 US 589 (1977) • Required reporting of narcotics prescriptions by physicians and pharmacies • Intended to develop data on abuse • Also intended to collect data for prosecution • What are the privacy concerns of the patients? • The court found this to be within the police powers • The government must avoid unneeded disclosure

  9. Enforcement of Third Party Reporting • Governmental • Loss or limitation of professional license • Administrative fine • Criminal prosecution • There are few enforcement actions • Private • Negligence per se claims • Slightly different from Tarasoff claims

  10. First Party Reporting • What is the purpose of the report? • Is the report targeted at identifying illegal behavior? • Is the report overly burdensome? • At federal level, does the report comply with the paperwork reduction act?

  11. Paperwork Reduction Act • Intended to require agencies to be more thoughtful about reporting requirements • Requires review by OMB • Applies to most agencies, including independent agencies • OBM does not the authority to veto requests by independent agencies

  12. What is Covered? • Reports required of 10 or more people • Also covers requirements to give information to the public • MSDS • Food labels • Hazardous materials inventories • Applies to investigations of a class of persons

  13. Exceptions • Law enforcement investigations • Civil lawsuits • Adjudications • Investigations of a single person or company

  14. Standards • Is the information required for the agency's function? • Does it duplicate information collected by other agencies? • Is it overly burdensome?

  15. Public Notice • If the data collection is part of a notice and comment rule, the Federal Register posting of the proposed rule serves as public notice • The public may object through comments • ORIA may also file comments for objections • If it is not part of a rule, there must be a separate posting and a period for public comment

  16. ORIA Review • Can veto requests unless they are in a rule • They can only comment on rules • Independent agencies can ignore the veto • Executive agencies usually negotiate to resolve the problem • Limited authority for judicial review • Classic area for executive oversight

  17. Administrative Requirements • Agency must assign a control number • If they do not do so, they will have trouble enforcing the reporting requirements • The agency must explain why the info is needed and how to complete the form • You see this with tax forms

  18. Subpoenas • A reporting requirement directed at a single, identified individual or company • Reporting requirements usually require the creation of a report • Subpoenas usually ask for already existing documents • Subpoenas are enforced through judicial orders and contempt • Reporting requirements usually have agency sanctions

  19. Contesting an Agency Subpoena - Procedure • Does the agency have the power to issue the subpoena? • You can ask a court to quash the subpoena • You can wait for the agency to go to court to get an order and contest the authority for the subpoena then • The agency may provide their own administrative review of subpoenas

  20. 4th Amendment Issues (Morton Salt Test) • Is a reporting requirement or a subpoena a search? • How is it different from an inspection? • Morton Salt factors • Is the subpoena sufficiently specific to allow compliance? • Is the subpoena unduly burdensome? • Does the agency have a proper purpose? • Basically a reasonableness test • Hard to beat an agency subpoena

  21. Fifth Amendment Issues • Self-incrimination • Only applies to people, not corporations • Only applies if there is a threat of criminal prosecution • Does not apply to documents that you have voluntarily created • The government must force you to testify against yourself, which means you have to create a document that testifies against you

  22. Marchetti v. US • The law required gamblers to keep records of illegal gambling activity • The court found that these violated the 5th amendment because they targeted criminal activity

  23. Required Records • Assume you must keep wage and hour records for your employees • You cheat on the tax withholding, which is a crime • Can you resist producing the records because they will incriminate you?

  24. Act of Production Doctrine • What if the existence of a voluntary record incriminates you? • Not the content - that would be not be self-incrimination • Tax example • You claim income of 50K • You have a document that says you were paid 100k in a business deal • Just having evidence that you had higher income is incriminating • What about records about your client's dope dealing?

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