DATES: Submit Comments by March 20, 2017.
EXCERPTS: The 2016 FOIA amends the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552, requiring an agency to review its FOIA regulations and issue regulations on procedures for the disclosure of records under the new amendments. Specifically, the 2016 FOIA requires: Certain records be available for public inspection in an electronic format; agencies to make available for public inspection in an electronic format records that have been requested three or more times; that an agency not withhold information under FOIA unless the agency reasonably foresees that disclosure would harm an interest protected by a FOIA Exemption or disclosure is prohibited by law; extending the number of days for an administrative appeal of an adverse determination from 30 to 90 days; limiting the FOIA Exemption for records created 25 years or more before the date on which the records were requested; the assessment of fees be limited in certain circumstances; and requesters be notified of available dispute resolution services from the FOIA Public Liaison of the agency or the Office of Government Information Services.
The proposed amendments would revise the Commission’s FOIA regulations to comply with the FOIA, as amended by the 2016 FOIA, and would update Commission procedures, contact information, and methods of submitting requests for records to the Commission, in addition to other conforming and technical revisions.
