Freedom of Information Act Operations at Six Department of Justice Units
GGD-83-64: Published: May 23, 1983. Publicly Released: Jun 1, 1983.
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GAO was asked to review certain aspects of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) operations at selected Department of Justice headquarters units, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
GAO found that responses to FOIA requests by these units took longer than the 10-day response time required by the act. Without completely automating or centralizing records or making responses to FOIA requests a top priority, significant improvements in the timeliness of responses to FOIA requests do not seem feasible. In summary, GAO found that: (1) the six units reviewed determined FOIA processing priorities informally; (2) according to unit officials, no processing deadlines other than the 10 working days prescribed in the FOIA had been set; (3) primary factors contributing to delays in processing FOIA requests were decentralized records, the volume of requested material, and the sensitivity of law enforcement information; (4) it could not assess the effects of practices and procedures for waiving fees because separate records were not kept on requests involving fee waivers; (5) Justice did not formally respond to the Justice Management Division's 1980 internal evaluation of FOIA activities nor was a response requested; and (6) resources and policy involving FOIA activities have not changed significantly in recent years.
Oct 8, 2020
Open Data:
Agencies Need Guidance to Establish Comprehensive Data Inventories; Information on Their Progress is LimitedGAO-21-29: Published: Oct 8, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 8, 2020.
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Coast Guard:
Actions Needed to Ensure Investments in Key Data System Meet Mission and User NeedsGAO-20-562: Published: Jul 16, 2020. Publicly Released: Jul 16, 2020.
Mar 30, 2020
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Information Management:
Selected Agencies Need to Fully Address Federal Electronic Recordkeeping RequirementsGAO-20-59: Published: Feb 27, 2020. Publicly Released: Mar 30, 2020.
Mar 16, 2020
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Freedom of Information Act:
Federal Agencies' Recent Implementation EffortsGAO-20-406R: Published: Mar 11, 2020. Publicly Released: Mar 16, 2020.
Dec 16, 2019
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Assessing Data Reliability (Supersedes GAO-09-680G)GAO-20-283G: Published: Dec 16, 2019. Publicly Released: Dec 16, 2019.
Oct 17, 2019
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Freedom of Information Act:
DHS Needs to Reduce Backlogged Requests and Eliminate Duplicate ProcessingGAO-20-209T: Published: Oct 17, 2019. Publicly Released: Oct 17, 2019.
Aug 10, 2018
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Paperwork Reduction Act:
Agencies Could Better Leverage Review Processes and Public Outreach to Improve Burden EstimatesGAO-18-381: Published: Jul 11, 2018. Publicly Released: Aug 10, 2018.
Jun 25, 2018
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Freedom of Information Act:
Agencies Are Implementing Requirements but Additional Actions Are NeededGAO-18-365: Published: Jun 25, 2018. Publicly Released: Jun 25, 2018.
Mar 13, 2018
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Freedom of Information Act:
Agencies Are Implementing Requirements but Need to Take Additional ActionsGAO-18-452T: Published: Mar 13, 2018. Publicly Released: Mar 13, 2018. -
Freedom of Information Act:
Federal Court Decisions Have Not Required the Office of Special Counsel to Initiate Disciplinary Actions for the Improper Withholding of RecordsGAO-18-235R: Published: Mar 13, 2018. Publicly Released: Mar 13, 2018.
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