Freedom of Information Act passes-- requesting info from federal government now easier

Watchdog blog from Public Citizen reports on the legislative history of the recent FOIA bill signed into law by President Bush on December 31st.

For more than 40 years, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has been the
pillar of the framework for transparent government – the primary advocacy
instrument for deterring and exposing unchecked executive power. However,
since 9/11, FOIA has been hobbled by a doctrine of secrecy executed with
administrative delays and ploys to keep government records “in the shadows.”
The OPEN Government Act, signed into law on December 31, is the
first legislative update to FOIA since 1996 and a reassertion of checks and
balances. Now it will be easier for people to get information from their
government. The law provides for an online tracking system for requesters,
a government-wide office to deal with disputes and concerns, penalties for
offices that take too long to respond, a limit to agency “search” and
“duplication” fees, and reimbursement of attorney fees in some situations where
requesters must go to court.

All Things Reform has FOIA databases for your reference in the left-hand column.

Reform the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and make it better

A coalition of groups has urged the U.S. Congress to pass a bill that would reform the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and make it work better for the public. The OPEN Government Act (S. 849) would enact common-sense reforms to the FOIA and put in place incentives for federal agencies to process FOIA requests from the public in a timely manner. It's supported by a wide range of organizations and individuals across the ideological, political, and economic spectrum.

S 849, proposed by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT), is currently behind a closed door; however, it already has strong bipartisan support. And, the United States House of Representatives already passed a similar bill by an overwhelming majority vote (308-117) in March 2007 which included 80 Republicans. If it does pass in the Senate, it will be reconciled with the House version and presented to President Bush for his vote.

Good government is open and accountable government. Currently, it takes up to 20 years to have a FOIA request fulfilled; often times it gets lost in the process, or is challenged in court by the federal agency only to be fulfilled right before the court's decision. The OPEN Government Act, S 849, is common sense legislation in good faith with the American people, and it should be passed overwhelmingly by the Senate and our President. Good leaders enjoy a high level of respect and trust with their constituents back home.