House passes sweeping FOIA reform legislation

The House passed legislation that would create the most sweeping reforms to federal open records laws in nearly a decade. Approved by voice vote, the Freedom of Information Act Oversight and Implementation Act (HR 653) would limit exemptions under the FOIA that now allow federal agencies to hold back information. The bill would also create a single online portal for people to make FOIA requests and require agencies to publicly post frequently requested records online. The legislation has been years in the making, following persistent complaints about the FOIA process from journalists, the public and members of Congress. “We regularly use the Freedom of Information Act and regularly find ourselves frustrated,” said House Oversight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA), the bill's author.

Outside advocates, in addition to House and Senate lawmakers, are pushing to ensure the legislation finally crosses the finish line. The last attempt to reform the FOIA process stalled, in 2014. That bill had faced opposition in the Senate, with companies and government agencies raising concerns about what kinds of information could be released, but the legislation ended up unanimously passing the upper chamber in December. The legislation never came up for a vote in the House. The bill represents the most significant push to overhaul the FOIA system since 2007.