FOIA Advisor

FOIA News: DOJ releases guidance for 2016 Chief FOIA Officer reports

FOIA News (2015-2023)Allan BlutsteinComment

Since 2010, the Office of Information Policy (OIP) has required agency Chief FOIA Officer Reports to address five key areas:

  1. Applying the Presumption of Openness,
  2. Ensuring that there are Effective Systems for Responding to Requests,
  3. Increasing Proactive Disclosures,
  4. Increasing the Utilization of Technology, and
  5. Improving Timeliness and Reducing any Backlogs.

Today, OIP issued guidelines that include new questions on training, FOIA Requester Service Centers and FOIA Public Liaisons, still interested inquiries, and posting records online.  The twenty-nine agencies that were designated as "high-volume" -- 1,000 or more requests received in most recent fiscal year -- must submit their  reports to OIP by January 15, 2015.  The remaining agencies must submit draft reports by February 5, 2016.