FOIA News: CFO Council releases technology committee's report

On February 14, 2020, the Chief FOIA Officers Council’s Technology Committee issued a report identifying ten best practices for agencies and five recommendations for the CFO Council.

FOIA News: Interior seeks FOIA supervisor

Today the Department of the Interior announced a job opening for a Supervisory Government Information Specialist to lead the Office of the Secretary’s FOIA program. The application deadline is March 5, 2020.

FOIA News: Comedy and bluegrass FOIA show on tour

The comedy show FOIA Love has announced a six-stop tour that will take place between March 15 and March 21. See details here.

FOIA News: EOUSA seeks FOIA/PA attorney

Today the Executive Office for United States Attorneys issued a job announcement for an Attorney-Advisor to work on FOIA and Privacy Act matters The position is located is Washington D.C. The application deadline is March 5, 2020.

FOIA News: OGIS to host Judge Lamberth during Sunshine Week

The Office of Government Information Services announced today that it will celebrate Sunshine Week on Monday March 16th with a program featuring Senior U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth, former Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The program also will feature a panel of experts on FOIA and access issues discussing the current transparency landscape.

FOIA News: Navy ordered to accelerate production of nuclear sub docs

By Hadley Barndollar, Seacoastonline.com, Feb. 18, 2020

Federal judge orders release of USS Thresher investigative documents

A federal judge has ordered the U.S. Navy to begin releasing unclassified documents in relation to the USS Thresher, the nuclear submarine that imploded 57 years ago, taking the lives of 129, and forever changing submarine safety.

It was the country’s worst nuclear submarine disaster in history when Thresher (SSN-593) did not surface while conducting deep dive exercises 220 miles off Cape Cod on April 10, 1963. The vessel imploded, and its shattered hull remains more than 8,000 feet underwater today.

Thresher was built and commissioned at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in 1961. Approximately two dozen families of the men lost aboard the submarine still live in New Hampshire, and a number of other families reside in Maine.

Read more here.

FOIA News: DOJ's Sunshine Week Event Set for March 12

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE SUNSHINE WEEK 2020 CELEBRATION

Department of Justice Office of Information Policy, Feb. 18, 2020

On Thursday, March 12, the Department of Justice will hold our annual celebration event.  We invite agency personnel and members of the public to join us for our early kickoff to Sunshine Week.

The event will include a keynote by the Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General of the United States, as well as the Department’s annual Sunshine Week FOIA Awards Ceremony to honor and celebrate the work of dedicated FOIA professionals across the government.

We hope that you can join us for this year’s celebration. If you are interested in attending this event, you can register through Eventbrite. If you have any questions regarding this event, please contact the Office of Information Policy’s Compliance Team at (202) 514-FOIA (3642).

Logistical details:

Department of Justice Sunshine Week 2020 Celebration
Robert F. Kennedy Building – Great Hall
10th and Constitution Ave NW

March 12, 2020, 10:00 am – Noon

You will need a government photo ID to enter the building.

FOIA News: FOIA webinar for journalists

On March 27, 2020,  Tuan Samahon, a Villanova University law professor and attorney, will host a FOIA webinar for journalists. To register, email foundation@pa-news.org or phone (717) 703-3003.  Read more here.

FOIA News: American Battle Monuments Commission Seeks Comments on Revised FOIA Regulations

SUMMARY: The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) is proposing to revise its procedures and guidelines for compliance with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to incorporate changes required by the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016 and applicable Department of Justice Office of Information Policy guidance.

Set to be published in the Federal Register on 2/18/2020. Read more here.

FOIA News: Nominations sought for FOIA awards

NOMINATIONS FOR THE 2020 SUNSHINE WEEK FOIA AWARDS ARE OPEN – NOMINATE YOUR FOIA PROFESSIONALS BY FEBRUARY 28, 2020

Office of Info. Policy, FOIA Post, Feb. 12, 2020

The Department of Justice, Office of Information Policy (OIP) is pleased to announce that nominations are open for the 2020 Sunshine Week FOIA Awards, recognizing the contributions of FOIA professionals from around the government.  As the Supreme Court declared, “[t]he basic purpose of [the] FOIA is to ensure an informed citizenry, vital to the functioning of a democratic society . . . .”  Agency FOIA professionals are vital to ensuring that the important purpose of this law is fulfilled and we are pleased and honored to celebrate the work of these individuals from around the government. 

Read more here.