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

Nominations Open for 2020-2022 FOIA Advisory Committee

If you or someone you know have a passion for FOIA and a commitment to improving the FOIA process, please consider submitting a nomination for the 2020-22 term of the Federal FOIA Advisory Committee.  We are looking for a wide range of FOIA experts from both inside and outside of government. We seek, at a minimum:   … Continue reading Nominations Open for 2020-2022 FOIA Advisory Committee

COVID-19 and FOIA: DOJ Releases New Guidance

On May 28th, the Department of Justice, Office of Information Policy (OIP) posted Guidance for Agency FOIA Administration in Light of COVID-19 Impacts. Here are some highlights: Agencies’ legal obligations under the FOIA continue even as agencies are working during COVID-19. All of FOIA’s statutory time limits continue to apply during workforce adjustments. Agencies have … Continue reading COVID-19 and FOIA: DOJ Releases New Guidance

2018-2020 FOIA Advisory Committee Draft Final Report Available for Public Comment

Including the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in agency strategic plans, providing mandatory annual FOIA training, and briefing new senior leaders on their obligations and responsibilities under FOIA are among 22 recommendations in a draft final report from the third term of the FOIA Advisory Committee to the Archivist of the United States. The Committee … Continue reading 2018-2020 FOIA Advisory Committee Draft Final Report Available for Public Comment