Update 2/5/2015: SPJ applauds the Senate Judiciary Committee for its swift action of approving the FOIA Improvement Act on a unanimous vote today.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 4, 2015

Contacts:
Dana Neuts, SPJ President, 360-920-1737 (PDT), dneuts@spj.org
Jennifer Royer, SPJ Communications Strategist, 317-361-4134, jroyer@spj.org

INDIANAPOLIS – The Society of Professional Journalists congratulates Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and John Cornyn (R-Texas) for introducing the FOIA Improvement Act in the Senate earlier this week, and Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), for introducing a similar bill, the FOIA Oversight and Implementation Act, the same day in the House of Representatives.

Both bipartisan bills will make the federal government more accountable by strengthening the Freedom of Information Act, including establishing a legislative presumption of openness, reinforcing the Office of Government Information Services and FOIA oversight, and mandating updates to agency regulations. Similar versions of both bills were introduced in the Senate and the House of Representatives last Congress.

SPJ thanks Senators Leahy and Cornyn for tirelessly working together for more than a decade to make government more open and transparent for all Americans, and Congressmen Issa and Cummings for joining forces to help ensure these bills becomes law. SPJ supported FOIA legislation last Congress, and it looks forward to passing meaningful FOIA reform this year.

Founded in 1909 as Sigma Delta Chi, SPJ promotes the free flow of information vital to a well-informed citizenry; works to inspire and educate the next generation of journalists; and protects First Amendment guarantees of freedom of speech and press. For more information about SPJ, please visit spj.org.

-END-