How long does the government have to respond to a FOIA request?
Technically, government organizations must respond to a FOIA request with a denial or grant of access within 20 business days. Note that the agency must only respond within 20 days; it does not have to deliver the records within the 20-day time period.
When does the 20 working day FOIA period begin?
The 20 working day period does not begin until the FOIA request is received by a FOIA component, an office authorized by the agency to process FOIA requests. A FOIA component has 10 working days to forward a misdirected FOIA request to the correct office.
How to request a Freedom of Information Act?
There are several ways to submit a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request: Submit a request through the National FOIA Portal . Use the Department of the Interior’s FOIA Request Form . Email your request to [email protected] . Put “Freedom of Information Act Request” in the subject line. Write a letter to the USGS FOIA Office using one of the…
What do you need to know about the FOIA?
1. What is the FOIA ? The FOIA is a federal law that requires federal agencies to disclose agency records to the public, except to the extent that either the record, or a portion of it, is protected from disclosure by one of FOIA’s nine exemptions. The Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) administers the FOIA within EEOC.
Technically, government organizations must respond to a FOIA request with a denial or grant of access within 20 business days. Note that the agency must only respond within 20 days; it does not have to deliver the records within the 20-day time period.
The 20 working day period does not begin until the FOIA request is received by a FOIA component, an office authorized by the agency to process FOIA requests. A FOIA component has 10 working days to forward a misdirected FOIA request to the correct office.
How many agencies are subject to the FOIA?
There are currently one hundred agencies subject to the FOIA with several hundred offices that process FOIA requests. Your request will receive the quickest possible response if it is addressed directly to the FOIA office of the agency or agency component that you believe has the records you are seeking.
Do you have to pay for FOIA search time?
However, if you are an “other” category requester, as most requesters seeking charge files are, and locating the specific records requested takes more than two hours, a fee for search time beyond the two hours will be charged. A copy of the first 100 pages of records is provided without charge.