October 21 FOIA Advisory Committee to be live streamed!

The National Archives will host—and live stream—its second Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Advisory Committee meeting on Tuesday, October 21, 2014. The Committee will discuss the FOIA issues on which it has agreed to focus: FOIA oversight and accountability, proactive disclosures, and FOIA fees. Due to space limitations and access procedures, advance registration is required. … Continue reading October 21 FOIA Advisory Committee to be live streamed!

FOIA Advisory Committee to meet October 21

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Advisory Committee will meet on Tuesday, October 21, 2014. The meeting, which is open to the public, will discuss the FOIA issues on which the Committee has agreed to focus:  FOIA oversight and accountability, proactive disclosures, and FOIA fees. Speakers will include David Ferriero, Archivist of the United States; … Continue reading FOIA Advisory Committee to meet October 21

FOIA Advisory Committee to Meet June 24

The first meeting of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Advisory Committee is scheduled for June 24, 2014 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the National Archives building in Washington, D.C. The meeting will be open to the public and we will provide registration information in the coming weeks. The FOIA Advisory Committee was … Continue reading FOIA Advisory Committee to Meet June 24

Improving FOIA Regulations: We Need Your Help!

Developing a common FOIA regulation is one of the commitments of the second Open Government National Action Plan to modernize FOIA. Agency FOIA professionals and regulatory specialists interested in what a common FOIA regulation might look like are invited to a meeting that will kick off the interagency process of developing the regulation. The meeting … Continue reading Improving FOIA Regulations: We Need Your Help!

The 411 on FOIA & the White House

Quick FOIA quiz: Is the White House subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)? Yes. And no. It depends on the function of a particular White House office. Offices within the Executive Office of the President that “wield … substantial authority independent of the President” are subject to FOIA, the Court of Appeals for … Continue reading The 411 on FOIA & the White House

Open Government: We Need Your Ideas!

We’re thrilled with the attention that FOIA is receiving in Open Government efforts, such as the National Action Plan. The National Archives and Record Administration (NARA), OGIS’s parent agency, is setting its own open government priorities for 2014-2016 in its third Open Government Plan, and we want to hear what you think. You can take … Continue reading Open Government: We Need Your Ideas!

Sunshine Week 2014 Roundup

Though the “sunny” forecast in Washington D.C. actually ended up being rather snowy, we were still feeling the warmth during Sunshine Week. We gave you a preview of the events we planned to attend during Sunshine Week, and wrote about Director Nisbet’s Senate testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, but here are some other exciting … Continue reading Sunshine Week 2014 Roundup

OGIS Director testifies, suggests improvements to FOIA

OGIS Director Miriam Nisbet joined other advocates of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) on March 11, testifying before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary about OGIS’s work and two new suggestions the Office has for improving FOIA. OGIS proposes that FOIA be embedded into Federal Information Technology (IT) management across the government. “We suggest … Continue reading OGIS Director testifies, suggests improvements to FOIA

FOIA Modernization Committee Update

We’ve written about the new FOIA Modernization Committee forming out of the U.S. National Action Plan for the global Open Government Partnership, and we’ve heard from lots of folks who are interested in joining the effort. If you are interested in serving on the committee or nominating someone to serve on the committee, it’s not … Continue reading FOIA Modernization Committee Update