TITLE VII - Strengthening FOIA

Sec. 701. Digital access to completed FOIA responses. (4 Comments) subscribe to the comments feed

  1. Each agency is required to make available all materials contained in the agency's completed response to a FOIA request in a structured database; searchable, sortable, downloadable database; or in a format searchable by text as appropriate.

    1. All information is presumed to be available in an electronic format as described above unless the agency demonstrates that excessive cost would place an undue burden on the agency.

  2. All information provided under subparagraph (a) above shall be made available to the public electronically, free of charge through each agency's Web site.

4 comments on Sec. 701. Digital access to completed FOIA responses.

  • It would be great if this bill could ressurect the Faster FOIA Act of 2007, which pased the Senate a few years ago and would establish a study commission to finally investigate and propose solutions to the problem of excessive agency processing delays.

    http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill....

    posted by Tim Jones, Electronic Frontier Foundation at April 1, 2008

  • This section does not go far enough:

    FOIA should be expanded to cover three critical areas:

    1) Administrative records and offices of Congress (Clerk of House, Secretary of Senate, Sergeant of Arms, etc.)

    2) Administrative Office of the Courts

    3) Groups such as the Clinton Health Care and the Bush Energy Policy organizations

    posted by Wendell Cochran, American University at April 7, 2008

  • In addition to these provisions, I would like to see a proactive approach to document provision. Something like:

    WHEREAS: All data collected by the Federal Government belongs to the people of the United States.

    All existing databases created for internal use must be reviewed by an outside commission which will either:

    1) Make the databases publicly available for academic commercial and other use.

    or

    2) Detail the specific contents of the database, its purpose, and the justification for its continued classification.

    posted by Clayton at April 15, 2008

  • There also needs to be specific penalties for non-compliance of FOIA laws. The general public should not have to hire an attorney to make the offenders comply with the law.

    posted by goodneighbor at April 17, 2008

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