Is the new and improved FOIA working for you?
On Dec. 31, President Bush signed into law the OPEN Government Act of 2007, which bolstered the Freedom of Information Act. So have the improvements helped you get public records from federal agencies? I would like to hear from you if you have submitted a FOIA request and have seen improvements because of the law. Some of the amendments haven't kicked in yet. For example, the new tracking systems and time limits begin Dec. 31, 2008, and they still haven't figured out how to fund the new federal records ombudsman position. But some immediate changes might have been helpful, including:
- Non-traditional journalists (bloggers and freelancers) may have an easier time getting fees waived under broader definition of the news media.
- Attorney fees applied retroactively so agencies can't stall, wait until you sue, and then hand the records over before going to court.
If you have noticed improvements, no improvements or access getting worse, please send me an e-mail at cuillier@email.arizona.edu. I'll report what I find out here in a few weeks.