FOIA

Extracted Attributes

• Origin

  Amendment to Section 3 of the Administrative Procedure Act of 1946

• Acronym

  FOIA

• Full Name

  Freedom of Information Act

• Nicknames

  Public Information Act of 1966, Public Information Availability

• Enacted By

  89th United States Congress

• Jurisdiction

  United States federal law

• Primary Users

  Businesses, law firms, and individuals (majority)

• Legal Citation

  5 U.S.C. § 552

• Primary Purpose

  Mandates disclosure of U.S. government information and documents upon request to increase transparency.

• Secondary Users

  News organizations (less than 10% of requests)

• Public Law Number

  89-487

• Number of Exemptions

  9

• Statutes at Large Citation

  80 Stat. 250

Timeline

• The Administrative Procedure Act (APA) was enacted, with Section 3 giving agencies broad discretion regarding governmental records. (Source: Web Search)

  1946-06-11

• Congress amended Section 3 of the Administrative Procedure Act, transforming it into the standalone Freedom of Information Act. (Source: Web Search)

  1966

• The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) became effective, providing public access to federal agency records. (Source: Web Search)

  1967-07-05

• The FOIA has undergone numerous revisions by both the legislative and executive branches since its enactment. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia)

  Ongoing

• Officials, including David Morens, reportedly attempted to evade FOIA requests in connection with the COVID-19 investigation. (Source: Related Documents, Summary)

  Recent (context of COVID-19 investigation)

Freedom of Information Act (United States)

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA FOY-yə), 5 U.S.C. § 552, is the United States federal freedom of information law that requires the full or partial disclosure of previously unreleased or uncirculated information and documents controlled by the U.S. government upon request. The act defines agency records subject to disclosure, outlines mandatory disclosure procedures, and includes nine exemptions that define categories of information not subject to disclosure. The act was intended to make U.S. government agencies' functions more transparent so that the American public could more easily identify problems in government functioning and put pressure on Congress, agency officials, and the president to address them. The FOIA has been changed repeatedly by both the legislative and executive branches. The FOIA is commonly known for being invoked by news organizations for reporting purposes, though such uses make up less than 10% of all requests—which are more frequently made by businesses, law firms, and individuals.

Web Search Results

• Freedom of Information Act (United States)

  The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA /ˈfɔɪjə/ FOY-yə), 5 U.S.C. § 552, is the United States federal freedom of information law that requires the full or partial disclosure of previously unreleased or uncirculated information and documents controlled by the U.S. government upon request. The act defines agency records subject to disclosure, outlines mandatory disclosure procedures, and includes nine exemptions that define categories of information not subject to disclosure. The act was intended [...] As indicated by its long title, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was moved from its original home in Section 3 of the Administrative Procedure Act "Administrative Procedure Act (United States)") (APA). Section 3 of the APA, as enacted in 1946, gave agencies broad discretion concerning the publication of governmental records. Following concerns that the provision had become more of a withholding than a disclosure mechanism, Congress amended the section in 1966 as a standalone act to [...] | Long title | An Act to amend section 3 of the Administrative Procedure Act, chapter 324, of the Act of June 11, 1946 (60 Stat. 238), to clarify and protect the right of the public to information, and for other purposes | | Acronyms (colloquial) | FOIA | | Nicknames | Public Information Act of 1966 Public Information Availability | | Enacted by | the 89th United States Congress | | Effective | July 5, 1967 | | Citations | | Public law | 89-487 | | Statutes at Large | 80 Stat. 250 |

• FOIA.gov - Freedom of Information Act: Learn

  FOIA Since 1967 the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has provided the public with access to federal agency records. It is often described as the law that keeps citizens “in the know” about their government. The FOIA requires agencies to proactively post online certain categories of records and it provides the public with the right to request access to records from any federal agency. For any record subject to the FOIA, federal agencies are required to disclose the record except to the [...] Since 1967, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has provided the public the right to request access to records from any federal agency. It is often described as the law that keeps citizens in the know about their government. Federal agencies are required to disclose any information requested under the FOIA unless it falls under one of nine exemptions which protect interests such as personal privacy, national security, and law enforcement. [...] FOIA.gov FOIA.gov is the government’s comprehensive website about the FOIA. Among many other features, FOIA.gov provides a central resource for the public to learn about the FOIA, to locate records that are already available online, and to make a request for information that is not yet publicly available. Requesters can make a request to any agency subject to the FOIA using FOIA.gov. FOIA.gov also promotes agency accountability for the administration of the FOIA by graphically displaying the

• Making a FOIA Request

  The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) gives the public the right to request access to records from any federal agency. It is often described as the law that keeps citizens in the know about their government. Federal agencies are required to disclose any information requested under the FOIA unless it falls under one of nine exemptions, which protect interests such as personal privacy, national security, and law enforcement. [...] 1. Failure to obtain requested information on an expedited basis could reasonably be expected to pose an imminent threat to the life or physical safety of an individual.​ [...] FOIA Home > Making a FOIA Request ## Making a FOIA Request ​Please note that we only accept FOIA requests for records maintained by the U.S. Department of State. What is the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)?

• Freedom of Information Act: Frequently Asked Questions ...

  Since 1967, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) has provided the public the right to request access to records from any federal agency. It is often described as the law that keeps citizens in the know about their government. Federal agencies are required to disclose any information requested under the FOIA unless it falls under one of nine exemptions which protect interests such as personal privacy, national security, and law enforcement. [...] FOIA.gov serves as the government’s comprehensive FOIA website for all information on the FOIA. Among many other features, FOIA.gov provides a central resource for the public to understand the FOIA, to locate records that are already available online, and to make a request for information that is not yet publicly available. FOIA.gov also promotes agency accountability for the administration of the FOIA by graphically displaying the detailed statistics contained in Annual FOIA Reports, so that [...] The FOIA also requires agencies to proactively post online certain categories of information, including frequently requested records. As Congress, the President, and the Supreme Court have all recognized, the FOIA is a vital part of our democracy.

• Freedom of Information Act | U.S. Department of the Treasury

  The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) gives any person the right to request access to records of the Executive Branch of the United States Government. The records requested must be disclosed unless they are protected by one or more of the exempt categories of information found in the FOIA. Records that, generally, may be protected from disclosure are: Properly classified material; limited kinds of purely internal matters; matters exempt from disclosure by other statutes; trade secrets or [...] Notwithstanding the above protections, the FOIA requires Federal agencies to provide the fullest possible disclosure of information to the public. Administrative and judicial remedies are available to those persons denied access to records. Treasury has designated John W. York, Assistant Secretary for Management, as the Chief Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Officer. Treasury FOIA Regulations, 31 CFR Part 1, Subpart A

• Instance Of

  Q4167410