The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the Faster Freedom of Information Act, a law that would establish a commission to study the problem of delays in FOIA requests and recommend changes to speed the process. -db
April 15, 2010
By Jeremy Miller
Today the Senate Judiciary Committee approved the Faster Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), bipartisan legislation sponsored by Senators Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and John Cornyn (R-Tx), that would establish an advisory commission to examine delays in processing Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and recommend reforms to streamline the requesting process. The commission would also study agencies’ chronic problem of denying FOIA request fee waivers to entitled requesters.
“Senator Cornyn and I first introduced this bill in 2005, because of the growing problem of excessive FOIA delays within our Federal agencies,” said Leahy. “During the five years since then, we have successfully worked together to reinvigorate FOIA through several legislative initiatives. I urge all Senators to support these constructive improvements in our Nation’s fundamental right-to-know law.”
In March, CREW and other and transparency-advocates wrote to Sens. Leahy and Cornyn expressing support for the proposed Faster FOIA Act.