Due to “exponential increases in requests and litigation,” the Department of the Interior issued a proposed rule on December 28, 2018, that would revise its FOIA regulations. Among the proposed changes, the Department would be able to “impose a monthly limit for processing records in response to your request in order to treat FOIA requesters equitably by responding to a greater number of FOIA requests each month.’’ Additionally, the Department may reject a request as unreasonably described if the request requires the agency to “locate, review, redact, or arrange for inspection of a vast quantity of material.”

Comments on the proposed rule must be submitted on or before January 28, 2019.