On March 31, 2003 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) of the Department of the Interior received a data quality petition from Terry Bashore of the U.S. Air Force challenging information concerning FWS' proposed rule to list slickspot peppergrass as an endangered species. The challenge clearly contributed to the FWS' decision to withdraw its proposal to recognize and protect the plant as an endangered species.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) called for the destruction of all copies of five documents in library circulation, according to a July 20 message from the Superintendent of Documents. After public outcry from libraries and public interest groups, DOJ rescinded its request in a July 30 message. Although these training materials and other documents were already in the public domain, DOJ asserted that they were not appropriate for external use. One of the listed documents is a public law and law offices commonly use the others in assisting clients to reclaim assets from the government.

Officials in Ohio will soon introduce a bill to the state legislature that would improve the state's current open records laws, according to the Plain Dealer. This comes after a recent survey revealed the state complied with requests for records less than half the time. The new provisions would require elected officials to receive two hours of public records training and government offices to create records manuals. Judges could also fine those violating the law up to $1,000 a day. While these changes could greatly improve compliance with the laws, some believe it is not enough.