Join us Online for Today’s Chief FOIA Officers Council Meeting

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Recent changes to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) landscape and an update on FOIA and technology will be discussed at the August 5, 2019 public meeting of the Chief FOIA Officers Council, beginning at 10:00 a.m. EDT. You may join us online via the National Archives YouTube channel.

The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Food Marketing Institute v. Argus Leader Media has implications for how some agencies apply FOIA Exemption 4 to confidential information. Bobak Talebian from the Department of Justice Office of Information Policy (OIP) will discuss this decision with members of the Council.

The Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (H.R. 4174) requires Federal agencies to make data publicly available by default in a secure manner. The Office of Management and Budget’s Kirsten Moncada will discuss the impact of this legislation on agency FOIA programs.

Michael Sarich of the Veterans Health Administration and Eric Stein of the State Department, co-chairmen of the Council’s Technology Subcommittee, will discuss the group’s work since forming in September 2018.

The directors of the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) and OIP co-chair the Council, which must meet publicly at least once a year in accordance with FOIA. The statute mandates that the Council develop recommendations for increasing FOIA compliance and efficiency; share best practices and innovative approaches; and work on initiatives to increase transparency and FOIA compliance.