Panel Backs FOIA Bill
April 15, 2010
| 2:36 PM
The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced bipartisan legislation Thursday to set up a commission to uncover why tens of thousands of requests for government information get sidetracked.
Sponsored by Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Tex., the bill (S. 3111) was approved and sent to the full Senate on a voice vote. The legislation is in response to delays lasting sometimes years for requests for information under the Freedom of Information Act.
Leahy cited some progress in cleaning up the backlog of applications for information, noting the Obama administration reported the number of pending cases dropped from 124,019 in fiscal year 2008 to 67,764 in fiscal year 2009, a government-wide decrease of 50 percent. "But large FOIA backlogs remain a major roadblock to public access to in formation," Leahy said.
Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, said exemptions cited by agencies under the FOIA for preventing release of information have risen significantly in the last year. The law lists exceptions for complying with requests, such as to protect national security or personal privacy.
The bill would set up a 16-person commission to study the reason for the delays and issue a report with recommendations within a year. An amendment by Leahy approved by voice vote would require the commission to examine and determine why the number of exemptions numbered some 467,000 in 2009.
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