Freedom of Information Act: DOJ Releases New Guidance and Template for Agency FOIA Regulations

From the U.S. Department of Justice:

Throughout 2014 and 2015, OIP convened an interagency working group and met with members of civil society to fulfill this commitment.  The goal of this initiative was to create as much uniformity as is practical and feasible in the content of agency FOIA regulations.  Today, OIP culminates work on this initiative by releasing guidance and a template containing both guidelines and sample language for agency FOIA regulations.
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OIP’s new guidance identifies the topics that the FOIA requires agencies to address in their regulations.  The guidance also notes the provisions that the FOIA permits agencies to include.  In addition to the required and optional provisions, the guidance describes the other types of provisions that agencies, as a matter of good practice, should include in their regulations.
The guidance is supplemented by a FOIA regulation template that provides guidelines and sample language for agencies to use as they publish and update their regulations.  These resources will be updated as needed to reflect changes in law and policy.

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