OGIS Director Testifies Before House Subcommittee

OGIS Director Alina M. Semo recently testified before a House Subcommittee about eight OGIS assessments at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). OGIS, mandated by Congress to review and identify ways to improve FOIA compliance, reviewed FOIA programs at seven DHS components between September 2015 and February 2018. OGIS also assessed DHS’s compliance with the … Continue reading OGIS Director Testifies Before House Subcommittee

Department of Justice Releases New Guidance on FOIA Exemption 4

As you may have heard, on June 24, 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court  issued an opinion on a case involving the “privileged or confidential” requirement of FOIA Exemption 4, Food Mktg Inst. v. Argus Leader Media, 139 S. Ct. 915 (June 24, 2019). Exemption 4 protects "trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained from … Continue reading Department of Justice Releases New Guidance on FOIA Exemption 4

Education FOIA Compliance Assessment Report Now Available

OGIS’s latest FOIA compliance assessment shows that opportunities exist for the Department of Education’s Chief FOIA Officer to fulfill the statutory duties of ensuring compliance with FOIA and recommending improvements to FOIA implementation. The Department of Education assessment, the 13th conducted by OGIS, makes seven actionable recommendations for strengthening Education’s FOIA program, which received 3,041 … Continue reading Education FOIA Compliance Assessment Report Now Available