Answer COVID FOIAs Now Act 2021-12-16 Introduced in House Answer COVID FOIAs Now Act

This bill addresses pending Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests related to COVID-19.

Specifically, the bill requires each federal agency, within 100 calendar days, to complete all pending FOIA requests related to a drug or medical device to prevent, diagnose, mitigate, or treat COVID-19; gain-of-function or potential pandemic pathogen research; or a policy, rule, or standard requiring COVID-19 vaccination of individuals.

For each calendar day on which any applicable FOIA request remains pending, the Department of the Treasury must transfer $1 million from the appropriations account of the office of the head of the agency to the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program of the Health Resources and Services Administration.

A person submitting such a request shall be deemed to have demonstrated a compelling need for expedited processing.

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