A bipartisan bill sponsored by U.S. Reps. Darrell Issa (R-CA) and Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) to strengthen Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) laws was approved by the House on Monday.
FOIA serves as a critical tool to allow the public to obtain information about the government’s actions and work.
The FOIA Oversight and Implementation Act, H.R. 653, establishes a presumption of openness for the release of information while creating electronic accessibility for frequently released information. Additionally, the legislation strengthens oversight and review of FOIA compliance and dispute resolution from the Office of Government Information Services.
“It is appropriate that legislation to enhance transparency and openness of government is one of the first bills approved by the House this year,” Issa said. “FOIA continues to be one of the most effective tools for Americans to access public information and it allows a crucial check on government power. I look forward to working with our Senate counterparts to send a final bill to the president’s desk swiftly.”
The legislation also imposes a 25 year sunset on an agency’s use of the “deliberative process” FOIA exemption and requires the operation of a consolidated online request portal to allow the public to submit a request for records from a single website.
Additionally, the bill establishes a chief FOIA officer council, including all chief FOIA officers, that will be modeled after the CIO Council.