FOIA enforcement

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday heard from government officials and transparency advocates about how to improve the federal Freedom of Information Act in the "Digital Age." Committee members present at the hearing and witnesses seemed to agree that more needs to be done to make records accessible, and using the Internet to proactively release records would be a step in the right direction.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Thursday to send the Faster FOIA Act of 2010 to the full Senate for consideration, The Associated Press reported.

The bill would establish a commission to investigate FOIA response delays and would recommend ways to expedite answers for future FOIA requests.

Journalists, government representatives and Freedom of Information Act experts testified before members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Thursday about FOIA compliance and reform.

A week after the Obama administration issued new open government initiatives, a congressional panel heard testimony Wednesday to consider whether the National Archives and Records Administration is meeting its mission to provide public access to federal records.

Despite President Barack Obama's emphasis on running a more transparent government, federal agencies have been slow to adapt to changes in the law and the new openness directives, open government advocates testified during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday.

The Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of Inspector General released a report on Friday that sharply criticized the agency’s compliance with the Freedom of Information Act.

A California bill that will relieve losing plaintiffs in Freedom of Information Act lawsuits of having to pay attorney's fees passed the state's legislature last month. It is now awaiting a signature from the governor.

In the summer edition of the American Bar Association’s administrative and regulatory newsletter, former Justice Department Office of Information director Daniel Metcalfe takes aim at the Obama administration’s Freedom of Information Act policy.

The White House has launched a Web site in response to President Obama's Transparency and Open Government memorandum, calling for suggestions from the public on open government policy.