Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

As Congress Considers Legislative Improvements, New Report Shows Federal Agencies Still Struggle to Process Public Information Requests in a Timely, Consistent Way

WASHINGTON, March 10, 2015—The Center for Effective Government released its second annual access to information scorecard today, grading the 15 key agencies that receive the most public information requests. The findings: eight out of the 15 agencies improved their overall grades from last year, but none earned an overall A grade. While the number of agencies with overall failing grades fell from five to two, another eight received “unsatisfactory” D grades.

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Center for Effective Government Urges Congress to Pass Legislation to Strengthen Freedom of Information Act

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3, 2015—Leaders in the Senate and House have introduced legislation to strengthen the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The reforms would significantly improve access to public information. The Center for Effective Government applauds the work done to develop this legislation and urges both houses of Congress to quickly pass it and send it to President Obama to sign.

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Freedom of Information Act Reform Prevails over Last-Minute Holds

Dec 8, 2014 by Sean Moulton

In the final days of the 113th Congress, the Senate successfully passed bipartisan legislation to reform the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The measure prevailed after several senators placed holds on the bill, temporarily blocking a vote. The last hold, by Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), was lifted Monday afternoon, and the Senate passed the bill by unanimous consent. The House, which already passed a version of the legislation, now has a handful of days to approve the Senate bill and send it to President Obama for his signature. 

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Center for Effective Government Applauds Senate Legislation to Strengthen Freedom of Information Act

WASHINGTON, June 24, 2014—Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and John Cornyn (R-TX) today introduced legislation to strengthen the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The bill would significantly improve access to public information. The Center for Effective Government applauds the work done to develop this legislation and urges the Senate to quickly pass the bill.

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Access to Information Scorecard 2014: March 19 C-SPAN Interview

The Center for Effective Government's Sean Moulton joined Pedro Echevarria of C-SPAN's Washington Journal on March 19, 2014, to discuss the center's new report, Making the Grade: Access to Information Scorecard 2014. The report grades 15 federal agencies on how well they provide access to key public information to the American people. View a clip from the interview below:

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Transparency in Government Act Looks to Change Status Quo

Mar 14, 2014 by Leslie Haymon

Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL) introduced a bill today that would take a number of innovative steps toward greater government transparency. The Transparency in Government Act would bring greater openness to the federal government through a number of pioneering proposals that harness 21st century technology and address critical gaps in each of the three branches.

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Making the Grade: Access to Information Scorecard 2014

A building block of American democracy is the idea that as citizens, we have a right to information about how our government works and what it does in our name. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requires federal agencies to promptly respond to public requests for information unless disclosure of the requested information would harm a protected interest. Unfortunately, since its passage in 1966 and reform in 1974, federal agencies have failed to implement the law consistently, which can make it challenging for citizens to gain access to public information as the law guarantees.

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Report Card Finds Federal Agencies Still Struggling to Implement the Freedom of Information Act -- 48 Years After Passage

On March 10, the Center for Effective Government released a report card grading federal agencies on their implementation of the Freedom of Information Act. The overall results were disappointing: no agency earned a top overall grade of an A, and half received failing grades. The good news is that in each of the three performance areas we investigated, at least one agency earned an A.

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Open Government Scorecard Finds Agencies Still Struggling to Effectively Implement the Freedom of Information Act

WASHINGTON, March 10, 2014—In a new report published today, the Center for Effective Government grades 15 key agencies on how well they have implemented our most fundamental right-to-know law – the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). While several agencies received top scores in one of the three areas examined, no one agency earned a top overall grade of an A, and seven agencies received failing grades.

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Now Available: Obama Foreign Aid Order Obtained in Groundbreaking Case

Mar 3, 2014 by Gavin Baker

Today, the Center for Effective Government is releasing the Presidential Policy Directive on Global Development, which it obtained through a path-setting Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit. President Obama originally issued the order in September 2010. Our story exemplifies a situation where disclosure eventually prevailed but with more delay and hassle than should be the case under the law.

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