Freedom of Information Act

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a U.S. federal statute (codified in the U.S. Code at 5 USC §552). The FOIA provides U.S. citizens with access to federal agency records. The law provides this access in two ways. It requires federal agencies to make proactive disclosures of agency records, including, but not limited to, final agency opinions, policy statements, and certain staff manuals that affect the public. The FOIA also allows the public to request agency records that the agency does not voluntarily provide to the public through proactive disclosure. Agencies fulfill the proactive disclosure requirement by creating publicly accessible reading rooms available online through agency website portals. Agencies also provide on-site reading rooms in their offices, where the public may visit and view ...