Amendments to the Freedom of Information Act

The Freedom of Information Act (sometimes abbreviated as FOIA) covers the implementation of freedom of information legislation and allows for the full or partial disclosure of documents controlled by the government. It became law in 1966, going into effect in 1967. It has been amended a few times.

The FOIA was created as American citizens started to protest their rights more, and it was designed to help manage requests for government records. There are some exceptions, mostly dealing with sensitivity and personal rights. This includes those records that would compromise national security, trade secrets of companies, records that would be considered an invasion of privacy if accessed, and more.

A few amendments have been made to the FOIA. These include:

• The Privacy Act Amendment of 1974, which was originally designed to strengthen the Privacy Act. It was vetoed by President Ford, but Congress overturned the veto. This amendment created the core FOIA that is used today, giving individuals the right to see records about themselves and change them if information is incorrect.
• The 1976 Government in the Sunshine Act amendments amended the exemptions to the FOIA, including information about national defense, internal personnel rules and practices, criminals, breaches of privacy, and information that would harm the company or proceedings against the company.
• The 1986 Omnibus Anti-Drug Abuse Act amendments were a small part of the overall act, and it allowed the FOIA to address the fees charged of requesters.
• The Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments of 1996 allowed certain types of records to be made available electronically, as well as extended the response time from ten to twenty days.
• The Intelligence Authorization Act of 2002 made amendments to FOIA, mostly pertaining to intelligence agencies. It prevented US intelligence agencies from disclosing records made by foreign governments or international organizations.
• OPEN Government Act of 2007 prohibited agencies from assessing certain fees if they did not comply with FOIA deadlines and established the Office of Government Information Services in the National Archives and Records Administration to perform compliance reviews.

The FEC's Guide to Researching Public Records

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) has a Public Records Office that allows interested parties to find public records information. The documents are available for public inspection and copying. Computer indexes are used to locate available public records information.

You can access information by going to the Public Records Office in Washington, DC. Visitors are not required to identify themselves. You can also access records online and by fax. There is a charge of $0.05 per page for copies, though many computer printouts and other publications are available for free. You can pay for you copies by check, money order, or credit card after all of the copies have been made. If you order by mail, then you will have to pay up front. If you need multiple records, you can create an account by depositing $25 for use towards copies. Alternatively, you may also be able to get campaign finance reports from your state records office.

A variety of information is available to you. You can research information about the candidates, committees, and their receipts and registrations. You can find documents filed by a specific candidate or committee, including FEC enforcement actions and litigation, financial figures, advisory opinions, and more. You can also find summary financial figures on PACs, party committees, and others, as well as individual contributors of $200 or more. Other financial reports are also available.