Q. Can the House Committee on Oversight and Reform be the subject of a FOIA request?

A. A congressional committee is not required to respond to a FOIA request (if that’s your question), nor must individual lawmakers. The statute requires compliance only from an “agency,” which includes “any executive department, military department, Government corporation, Government controlled corporation, or other establishment in the executive branch of the Government (including the Executive Office of the President), or any independent regulatory agency.” 5 U.S.C. § 552(f).

Q. Can I FOIA a federally chartered hospital?

A. Probably not. An institution is not subject to FOIA merely because it was created or is funded by the federal government. It must function as an agency (e.g., under extensive, detailed, and virtually day-to-day government supervision), as opposed to a private sector operation.