1974 FOIA Amendments Mark Golden Anniversary

By NARA-OGIS, FOIA Ombuds, Nov. 21, 2024

Requesters, the next time you work to “reasonably describe” records in a FOIA request or visit FOIA.gov for agency FOIA data, you can thank the 1974 FOIA amendments. And agency FOIA professionals, you can thank the 1974 FOIA amendments for setting timeframes for agency action on FOIA requests and establishing the one-time 10-working-day extension for “unusual circumstances.” 

The week of November 18-22, 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the amendments, passed by Congress eight years after it passed the original law. The amendments require agencies to publish indices of agency information; established the U.S. District Court in D.C. as a universal venue for FOIA lawsuits; and gave federal judges the power to review classified documents in private to determine whether the records were properly classified.

Read more here.