Federal Government – Page 3 – National Freedom of Information Coalition

Subtle push against FOIA bill begins in administrative branch

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Lawmakers will scramble over each other to laud transparency and open government when considering legislation to strengthen the Freedom of Information Act.

But FOIA reform often faces a difficult path toward passage as speculation mounts over its unintended consequences, sometimes stalling action on the bill by Congress. Who launches this quiet resistance against changing the nation's foremost public records law?

Federal agencies, that's who. Continue>>>
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Feds Refuse to Release Documents on “Zero-Day” Security Exploits

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Federal agencies served with a Freedom of Information Act request are refusing to release documents related to their purchase, use and disclosure of zero-day exploits, keeping the American public in the dark about a practice that leaves the Internet and its users less secure.

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Lawmakers’ latest FOIA reform effort would strengthen governmentwide ombudsman

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When Congress last updated federal open government laws in 2007, it created a new ombudsman intended to serve as an honest broker between Freedom of Information Act requestors and agencies. But unlike most other ombudsmen, this one works for one of the parties in the disputes it's supposed to mediate. Pending legislation would change that by making the Office of Government Information services (OGIS) truly independent from the executive branch.

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FOIA Reform Bill Advances

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The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved S-337 to compel agencies to respond more quickly and openly to Freedom of Information Act requests.

The bill would establish a single website for making FOIA requests; direct agencies to make records available in an electronic format; reduce the number of exemptions agencies can use to withhold information from the public; clarify procedures for handling frequently requested documents and charging fees; establish a Chief FOIA Officers Council; and require agencies to prepare additional reports for the Congress on FOIA matters.

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Federal Court Denies Anti-Abortion Group FOIA Request

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An antiabortion group’s appeal, under the Freedom of Information Act to have access to documents involving a federal grant being awarded to a Planned Parenthood Agency, has been rejected by the federal appeals court.

In 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services awarded federal grant funds to the Planned Parenthood Agency. The New Hampshire Right to Life subsequently filed a lawsuit, which sought documents related to the award of the grant.

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Editorial: AMERICA NEEDS A NEW FOIA OVERSEER: IS IT YOU?

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The federal government needs a new Freedom of Information Act champion.

Following the November retirement of Office of Government Information Services Director Miriam Nisbet, the office in charge of monitoring governmentwide FOIA compliance and policy is looking for a permanent replacement.

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Editorial: Upgrade to Freedom of Information Act is a good start

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The Freedom of Information Act, first enacted in 1966, allows the public to see how their government functions – and fails to function – by providing access to official records. In fiscal year 2013, government agencies released some or all of the information sought in 440,997 requests.

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Opinion: Freedom of Information Act Protects the Public Interest

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Bureaucratic stonewalling erects barriers to the public’s right to know. It also undermines our system of checks and balances and weakens the public’s trust in our institutions of government.

Let’s remember the genesis of our republic. The government works for the people, not the other way around. Foot-dragging subverts transparency and creates a credibility gap.

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Editorial: Upgrade to Freedom of Information Act is a good start

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The Freedom of Information Act, first enacted in 1966, allows the public to see how their government functions — and fails to function — by providing access to official records. In fiscal year 2013, government agencies released some or all of the information sought in 440,997 requests.

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FOIA Reform Bill Introduced in House

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House Oversight Committee chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and ranking member Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) have introduced bipartisan legislation to reform the Freedom of Information Act.

The FOIA Oversight and Implementation Act of 2015 would, among other things, require agencies to process FOIA requests with a "presumption" of openness, putting the burden on the agency to demonstrate an identifiable harm in releasing it.

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