h 122 41617 1173070800 false 1173890520 1173931200 21 1309 2338 110 400074

3/14/2007--Passed House amended. Freedom of Information Act Amendments of 2007 - Amends the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to revise requirements for federal agency disclosures of information requested under that Act.<br/>(Sec. 3) Prohibits a federal agency, in setting document duplication fees, from denying news media status to a news media representative solely on the absence of institutional associations of the requester and requires consideration of the requester's prior publication history. Requires such agency, if a requester has no prior publication history or current affiliation, to consider the requester's stated intent at the time the request is made to distribute information to a reasonably broad audience. (Sec. 4) Provides that, for purposes of awarding attorney fees and litigation costs, a FOIA complainant has substantially prevailed in a legal proceeding to compel disclosure if such complainant obtained relief through either: (1) a judicial order, administrative action, or an enforceable written agreement or consent decree; or (2) a voluntary or unilateral change in position by the opposing party in a case in which the complainant's claim or defense was not frivolous. (Sec. 5) Directs the Attorney General to: (1) notify the Special Counsel of civil actions taken for arbitrary and capricious rejections of requests for agency records; and (2) submit annual reports to Congress on the number of such civil actions in the preceding year. Directs the Special Counsel to submit an annual report to Congress on investigations of agency rejections of FOIA requests.<br/>(Sec. 6) Requires the 20-day period during which an agency must determine whether to comply with a FOIA request to begin on the date on which the request is first received by such agency. Prohibits the tolling of the 20-day period without the consent of the FOIA requester.<br/>Requires an agency to refund fees for a FOIA request if the agency fails to comply with the 20-day period (applies to requests made one year after the enactment of this Act).<br/>(Sec. 7) Requires agencies to establish: (1) a system to assign an individualized tracking number for FOIA requests and provide requesters with such tracking number within 10 days after receiving a request; and (2) a telephone line or Internet service that provides information on the status of a request. Makes this requirement effective one year after the enactment of this Act. (Sec. 8) Requires any statutory exemption from disclosure under FOIA enacted after the date of enactment of this Act to cite directly to FOIA disclosure exemption provisions. (Sec. 9) Revises annual agency reporting requirements on compliance with FOIA to require information on: (1) compliance of each principal component of an agency and for the agency overall; (2) FOIA denials based upon particular statutes; and (3) agency response times.<br/>Requires agencies to make the raw statistical data used in reports electronically available to the public upon request.<br/>(Sec. 10) Redefines &quot;record&quot; under FOIA to include any information maintained by a contractor for a federal agency. (Sec. 11) Establishes in the National Archives an Office of Government Information Services under the supervision and direction of a National Information Advocate. Requires such Office to: (1) provide guidance to FOIA requesters; and (2) review agency FOIA policies and procedures and recommend policy changes to Congress. (Sec. 12) Requires the Comptroller General to report to Congress, not later than January 1 of each of the three years after the enactment of this Act, on the implementation and use of provisions for the protection of voluntarily shared critical infrastructure information under the Homeland Security Act of 2002. Requires such reports to be submitted in unclassified form, allowing a classified annex.<br/>(Sec. 13) Requires the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to report to Congress on personnel policies related to FOIA.<br/>(Sec. 14) Declares it to be the policy of the federal government to release information to the public in response to a FOIA request if the release is required by law or the release is allowed by law and the agency concerned does not reasonably foresee that disclosure would be harmful to an interest protected by an applicable exemption. (Sec. 15) Requires agencies making partial FOIA disclosures to note the exemption or exemptions used to withhold information and to indicate the exemption used to delete information at the place in the record where the deletion is made.<br/>

1173931200 2007-03-15 Thu Nov 06 19:41:32 -0600 2008 introduced 41617 'act':4 '2007':7 'amend':5 'inform':3 'freedom':1 41889 short passed house 41617 'act':4 '2007':7 'amend':5 'inform':3 'freedom':1 47161 short introduced 41617 '5':12 '552':9 'act':24 'code':15 'open':3 'titl':11 'unit':13 'refer':17 'state':14 'common':16 'govern':5 'inform':23 'promot':2 'purpos':28 'freedom':21 'section':8 'strengthen':7 41890 official action 41617 1173931200 Thu Mar 15 00:00:00 -0500 2007 105997 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. C001049 1956-07-27 2247 434 Cannon House Office Building http://lacyclay.house.gov/contact.htm 1 202-226-3717 William 'd':4 '-1':6 'mo':5 'rep':1 'clay':3,8,10 'william':2,7,9 M 400074 Clay William_L_Jr_Clay Lacy Rep. William Clay [D, MO-1] 654 N00012460 6802 Democrat 202-225-2406 Roman Catholic MO Lacy William Clay 1.0 http://lacyclay.house.gov/ CongressmanClay P000585 1962-03-05 1549 1032 Longworth House Office Building http://www.house.gov/platts/email.shtml 19 202-226-1000 Todd 'r':4 'pa':5 '-19':6 'rep':1 'todd':2,7,9 'platt':3,8,10 M 400321 Platts Todd_Russell_Platts R. Rep. Todd Platts [R, PA-19] 585 N00009719 6469 Republican 202-225-5836 Episcopalian PA Todd Platts 5.76923076923077 http://www.house.gov/platts/ W000215 1939-09-12 14265 2204 Rayburn House Office Building http://www.house.gov/waxman/contact.htm 30 202-225-4099 Henry 'd':4 'ca':5 '-30':6 'rep':1 'henri':2,7,9 'waxman':3,8,10 M 400425 Waxman Henry_A._Waxman A. Rep. Henry Waxman [D, CA-30] 6541 N00001861 13896 Democrat 202-225-3976 Jewish CA Henry Waxman 1.98823529411765 http://www.house.gov/waxman/ action 41617 1173931200 Thu Mar 15 00:00:00 -0500 2007 105997 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. vote 41617 1173930120 Wed Mar 14 12:42:00 -0500 2007 roll 96459 pass On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 308 - 117 (Roll no. 144). vote h action 41617 1173929700 Wed Mar 14 12:35:00 -0500 2007 96458 Considered as unfinished business. action 41617 1173884160 Wed Mar 14 11:56:00 -0500 2007 96457 At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed. action 41617 1173881940 Wed Mar 14 11:19:00 -0500 2007 152648 DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 1309. action 41617 1173881940 Wed Mar 14 11:19:00 -0500 2007 96456 Considered under suspension of the rules. action 41617 1173881880 Wed Mar 14 11:18:00 -0500 2007 96455 Mr. Clay moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended. action 41617 1173725220 Mon Mar 12 15:47:00 -0500 2007 96165 Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Oversight and Government. H. Rept. 110-45. calendar 41617 1173725220 Mon Mar 12 15:47:00 -0500 2007 96166 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 21. calendar 41617 1173330000 Thu Mar 08 00:00:00 -0600 2007 121055 Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote. action 41617 1173330000 Thu Mar 08 00:00:00 -0600 2007 105996 Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held. action 41617 1173330000 Thu Mar 08 00:00:00 -0600 2007 95322 Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote. action 41617 1173157200 Tue Mar 06 00:00:00 -0600 2007 105995 Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held. action 41617 1173157200 Tue Mar 06 00:00:00 -0600 2007 95321 Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote . action 41617 1173070800 Mon Mar 05 00:00:00 -0600 2007 95320 Referred to the Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives. introduced 41617 1173070800 Mon Mar 05 00:00:00 -0600 2007 95319 action 41617 1173070800 Mon Mar 05 00:00:00 -0600 2007 105994 Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. 8 308 41617 Wed Mar 14 11:42:00 -0500 2007 true 4409 117 144 46 0 On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended: H R 1309 Freedom of Information Act Amendments false 2/3 Passed On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended Thu Sep 13 08:41:10 -0500 2007 house