UNESCO and ICIC Celebrate International Day for Universal Access to Information

In observance of International Day for Universal Access to Information, two international access organizations are co-hosting a webinar from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EDT on September 29, 2020, to discuss best practices in access to information amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Register for the webinar here. The United National Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) … Continue reading UNESCO and ICIC Celebrate International Day for Universal Access to Information

OGIS Publishes NRC FOIA Compliance Assessment Report

Drawing of nuclear reactor uranium "pile." Photograph taken January 27, 1950 (NARA ID: 22118314) OGIS’s latest agency compliance assessment delivers six findings and 10 recommendations for  improving FOIA compliance and administration at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), which regulates commercial nuclear power plants and other uses of nuclear materials, such as in nuclear medicine. NRC … Continue reading OGIS Publishes NRC FOIA Compliance Assessment Report

Deadline for Registering for First Meeting of 2020-2022 FOIA Advisory Committee

Coming? Then Hurry? (NARA ID: 44266086) Interested in attending — virtually, of course — the first meeting of the 2020-2022 term of the FOIA Advisory Committee on Thursday, September 10, 2020, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. EDT? Please register by midnight Tuesday September 8, 2020. We have a packed agenda! After a welcome by the … Continue reading Deadline for Registering for First Meeting of 2020-2022 FOIA Advisory Committee

Join us Virtually for the September 10 FOIA Advisory Committee Meeting

Exploration Science Building 34 Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Goddard Space Flight Center (National Archives ID: 18434371) Register now to join us virtually on Thursday, September 10, 2020, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. ET at the first meeting of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Advisory Committee’s 2020-2022 term. The meeting is open to the public; however, … Continue reading Join us Virtually for the September 10 FOIA Advisory Committee Meeting

Archivist Appoints New Members to the 2020-2022 FOIA Advisory Committee

We are pleased to announce that Archivist of the United States David S. Ferriero has appointed 20 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) experts — 10 government FOIA professionals and 10 requester community representatives — to serve on the fourth term of the FOIA Advisory Committee.  We welcome back Michael Morisy of MuckRock; James Stocker of … Continue reading Archivist Appoints New Members to the 2020-2022 FOIA Advisory Committee

Final Report of the 2018-2020 FOIA Advisory Committee Delivered to the Archivist

Smaller Parcels Quicker Service! (National Archives ID: 44267059) The Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) has delivered the Final Report and Recommendations of the 2018-2020 term of the FOIA Advisory Committee to the Archivist of the United States, David S. Ferriero. The report is the result of two years of hard work by the Committee’s … Continue reading Final Report of the 2018-2020 FOIA Advisory Committee Delivered to the Archivist

Register now to virtually attend the July 20, 2020 OGIS Annual Open Meeting

Registration is now open for OGIS’s Annual Open Meeting on Monday, July 20, 2020, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. EDT. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting will be virtual. Please register by Thursday, July 16, 2020, to virtually attend the meeting. We will send instructions by email to all registrants for accessing the … Continue reading Register now to virtually attend the July 20, 2020 OGIS Annual Open Meeting

Deadline Extended for Nominations to 2020-2022 FOIA Advisory Committee

"Buy a share in America" (National Archives ID: 513994) The deadline for nominating yourself or someone else to the 2020-2022 term of the FOIA Advisory Committee has been extended until July, 10, 2020. We are looking for a wide range of FOIA experts from both inside and outside government who have a passion for FOIA and … Continue reading Deadline Extended for Nominations to 2020-2022 FOIA Advisory Committee

Recap: Recent OGIS/CDC Webinar on Requests for COVID-19 Records

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted agency FOIA programs in various ways– some of which we have discussed previously in this space, and others that were addressed in recent Department of Justice Office of Information Policy guidance. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has seen a staggering increase in its FOIA caseload in the … Continue reading Recap: Recent OGIS/CDC Webinar on Requests for COVID-19 Records

OGIS Publishes Results of COVID-19 FOIA Website Review

Federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) websites are more likely than not to be silent on how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting agency FOIA processing. A majority of federal FOIA websites – 62.6 percent – reviewed by the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) in May and early June do not alert requesters to changes … Continue reading OGIS Publishes Results of COVID-19 FOIA Website Review