FOIA Advisor

FOIA News: FOIA Advisory Committee seeks input on so-called model determination letter

FOIA News (2015-2023)Allan BlutsteinComment

FOIA Advisory Committee Seeks Input on Draft Model Determination Letter

OGIS, FOIA Ombudsman, June 14, 2023,

As presented and discussed at the June 8, 2023, FOIA Advisory Committee Meeting, the Modernization Subcommittee seeks public feedback on a model determination letter from federal agencies, FOIA requesters, and the public, before finalizing into a formal recommendation.

As the Subcommittee notes in its background document, the FOIA statute “says almost nothing about communicating the substance of the agency’s decision.” The model letter is designed to be a template for agencies to use when responding to requesters, and covers such areas as the search for responsive records, the agency’s determination and referrals, among other administrative matters. 

Read more here.