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HR 4917 103th Congress House Government Operations and Politics Administrative fees Administrative procedure Administrative remedies Computers and government Data banks Due process of law Economics and Public Finance Electronic data processing Electronic publishing Freedom of information Government paperwork Government publicity Information services Law Legal fees Public Lands and Natural Resources Public records Science, Technology, Communications User charges

Electronic Freedom of Information Improvement Act of 1994

Introduced: August 8, 1994 Introduced by: Cantwell, Maria Democratic · Washington See on congress.gov
 Everywhere this bill has been 4 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Aug 12, 1994
Referred to the Subcommittee on Information, Justice, Transportation and Agriculture.
Aug 8, 1994
Referred to the House Committee on Government Operations.
Aug 8, 1994
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1676-1677)
Aug 8, 1994
Introduced in House
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Electronic Freedom of Information Improvement Act of 1994 - Amends the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to: (1) direct agencies to publish electronically by computer telecommunications (or by other electronic means if computer telecommunications means are unavailable) all information required to be published in the Federal Register, and make certain items available for public inspection and copying by such electronic means as well (including a list of all records made available to any person); (2) include among such required information an index of all information stored in an electronic form by the agency, a description of any new database, and a list of all statutes authorizing the agency to withhold information under such Act; (3) enable requesters to receive records in the format in which such records are maintained; (4) require reasonable efforts by the agency to provide records in an electronic format even when such records are not usually maintained in such format; (5) credit to agencies which have been found to be responsive to FOIA requests a percentage of the fees collected from such requests to offset compliance costs, at an agency's request; (6) provide for Government payment of the requester's out-of-pocket expenses in any case in which the agency has failed to comply with the FOIA request within prescribed time limits; (7) lengthen from ten to 20 days the period for agency decision to comply with a request for information; (8) preclude treatment of predictable workload (including any ongoing agency backlog) as unusual circumstances warranting extension of time limits; (9) require denial notifications to specify the total number of denied records and pages considered in responding to the FOIA request; (10) mandate agency regulations governing FOIA requests for expedited access, including a multitrack first-in, first-out processing policy for simple and complex requests); (11) require the extent of deletions to be indicated on the released portion of the record where they were made; and (12) define "record" to include all information or documentary materials regardless of physical form or characteristics, and "search" to include an automated examination to locate records.

What's happening now August 12, 1994

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

 Committees of jurisdiction 2