Please join us on December 9, 2021, as Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Advisory Committee members roll up their sleeves to consider a range of potential recommendations – and welcome its newest member, Dione J. Stearns.
The virtual meeting starts at 10 a.m. ET on December 9. If you wish to speak during the public comment period of the meeting, you must register via Eventbrite by 11:59 p.m. December 7. You may submit written comments to the Committee at any time.
We will also livestream the meeting on the National Archives YouTube channel.
The Committee’s four subcommittees have met regularly to discuss ideas for improving FOIA administration and will bring a variety of issues to the full Committee for discussion and consideration. The Classification Subcommittee is working on ideas pertaining to when agencies respond to requests for records by neither confirming nor denying the existence of records, known as the “Glomar” response. The Technology Committee is working on best practices for FOIA websites. The Process and Legislation subcommittees also will present on their work which includes FOIA funding, first-party requests, and the future of OGIS.
Please keep an eye on our website for meeting materials, including any draft recommendations.The Committee also will welcome Dione J. Stearns, Assistant General Counsel for Information at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero appointed Ms. Stearns earlier this month to fill a vacancy for the remainder of the committee’s 2020-2022 term, which ends in June 2022. Prior to joining the FTC, Ms. Stearns fulfilled a variety of FOIA/Privacy Act responsibilities at the U.S. Department of Justice’s Executive Office for United States Attorneys (EOUSA) and Office of Information Policy (OIP).