TITLE VII—STRENGTHENING THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT
Sec. 701. Digital access to completed responses to the Freedom of Information Act.
Sec. 702. Explanation required for creation of exemption in the Freedom of Information Act.
Sec. 703. FOIAonline for agencies.
Sec. 704. Agency defined.
SEC. 701. DIGITAL ACCESS TO COMPLETED RESPONSES TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.
(a) Requirement.—
(1) DATABASE OF COMPLETED FOIA REQUESTS.—Each agency shall make available all materials contained in the agency’s completed response to a request under section 552 of title 5, United States Code (in this section referred to as a “FOIA request”) in a structured database or in a searchable, sortable, downloadable, machine-readable database within 2 months after the date the FOIA request was completed.
(2) ELECTRONIC FORMAT.—All information is presumed to be available in an electronic format as described in paragraph (1) unless the agency demonstrates that excessive cost would place an undue burden on the agency.
(b) Public Availability.—All information included in the agency’s completed response to a FOIA request shall be made available to the public electronically and without cost through each agency’s website.SEC. 702. EXPLANATION REQUIRED FOR CREATION OF EXEMPTION IN THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.
Section 552(b)(3)(B) of title 5, United States Code, is amended by inserting “with an explanation for the exemption” after “specifically cites to this paragraph”.SEC. 703. FOIAONLINE FOR AGENCIES.
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the head of each agency shall use FOIAonline to log, track, and publish all requests received under section 552 of title 5, United States Code.SEC. 704. AGENCY DEFINED.
In this title, the term “agency” has the meaning given that term under section 551 of title 5, United States Code.
35-Year Public Affairs & IT Professional 