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HR 1423 102th Congress House

Freedom of Information Public Access Improvement Act of 1991

Official title: To amend the Freedom of Information Act to improve public access to Government information, and for other purposes.

Introduced: April 23, 1991 See on congress.gov
Government Operations and Politics Administrative feesAdministrative procedureCivil Rights and Liberties, Minority IssuesCivil actions and liability
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Congressional oversightCongressional reporting requirementsFreedom of informationGovernment paperwork
This bill died when the 102nd Congress ended
It never became law before the 102nd Congress (1991–1992) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Mar 14, 1991
Referred to the Subcommittee on Government Information, Justice and Agriculture.
Mar 13, 1991
Referred to the House Committee on Government Operations.
Mar 13, 1991
Introduced in House
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 Latest action March 14, 1991

Referred to the Subcommittee on Government Information, Justice and Agriculture.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Freedom of Information Public Access Improvement Act of 1991 - Title I: Amendments to the Freedom of Information Act - Amends the Freedom of Information Act to require each agency, with respect to requests for records, to maintain a log of such requests and responses. Requires each agency to organize and maintain its records in a manner to make them easily accessible and retrievable.

Revises provisions regarding fees and waivers for processing such requests. Makes eligible for reasonable standard fees or charges the document duplication requests of a nonprofit organization that intends to make the information available to the news media, to any branch or agency of Federal, State, or local government, or to the public. Allows documents to be furnished without charge or at a reduced fee if: (1) the information relates to a violation of law, inefficiency, or administrative error by an agency; or (2) the waiver or fee reduction is in the public interest because the furnishing of the information primarily benefits the general public. Declares that for purposes of reduced fees or waived charges the publication, reproduction, resale, or other dissemination of information obtained by any person from an agency is not a commercial use.

Authorizes the appropriate district court to assess monetary penalties against the United States for unwarranted failure to comply with time limits for answering requests. Revises provisions relating to sanctions for such agency noncompliance. Requires that copies of recommendations on disciplinary action for any Federal employee responsible for wrongful noncompliance be submitted additionally to the court and to the House Committee on Government Operations and the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. (Currently, such report is submitted only to the agency and the employee or the employee-representative.)

Requires each agency to expedite access to records if the requester demonstrates a compelling need.

Requires agencies to include in regulations concerning information disclosure a detailed description of the procedure used to process requests.

Includes as information exempt from disclosure: (1) matters which would cause identifiable damage to the national defense; and (2) matters in which the need to protect the information outweighs the public interest.

Changes the disclosure exemption for internal personnel rules and practices to an exemption for law enforcement manuals that are internal in nature to the extent that disclosure would risk circumvention of an agency investigation, a regulation, or a statute.

Revises the exemption for financial reports by prohibiting disclosure if it would directly injure the financial stability of an institution.

Directs each agency to make available to the public a complete list of all statutes determined to authorize the agency to withhold information under the disclosure exemption.

Requires each agency, upon notification of the introduction of any bill or resolution constituting authority for that agency to withhold information, to notify the House Committee on Government Operations and the Senate Committee on the Judiciary.

Prohibits the withholding of information in order to conceal violations of law, inefficiency, or administrative error.

Directs the Archivist of the United States to supervise compliance with the Freedom of Information Act.

Changes the date of the annual report by agencies under such Act to December 1. Revises information to be included in such report to conform to amendments made by this Act.

Directs the Archivist of the United States to submit an annual report on or before December 1 on activities under the Freedom of Information Act. (Currently, the Attorney General makes such annual report on March 1.)

Title II: Recovery of Wrongfully Removed Agency Files - Authorizes any person to commence a civil action to recover agency records removed in violation of law.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 1423: Freedom of Information Public Access Improvement Act of 1991. 102nd Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/102-HR-1423/
MLA
"H.R. 1423: Freedom of Information Public Access Improvement Act of 1991." 102nd Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/102-HR-1423/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 1423, 102nd Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/102-HR-1423/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 1423: Freedom of Information Public Access Improvement Act of 1991](https://openamerica.io/bill/102-HR-1423/)
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