[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2488 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

:\SENENR\s2488--enr.xml [file 1 of 1]

        S.2488

                       One Hundred Tenth Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE FIRST SESSION

          Begun and held at the City of Washington on Thursday,
            the fourth day of January, two thousand and seven


                                 An Act


 
To promote accessibility, accountability, and openness in Government by 
   strengthening section 552 of title 5, United States Code (commonly 
 referred to as the Freedom of Information Act), and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
    This Act may be cited as the ``Openness Promotes Effectiveness in 
our National Government Act of 2007'' or the ``OPEN Government Act of 
2007''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
    Congress finds that--
        (1) the Freedom of Information Act was signed into law on July 
    4, 1966, because the American people believe that--
            (A) our constitutional democracy, our system of self-
        government, and our commitment to popular sovereignty depends 
        upon the consent of the governed;
            (B) such consent is not meaningful unless it is informed 
        consent; and
            (C) as Justice Black noted in his concurring opinion in 
        Barr v. Matteo (360 U.S. 564 (1959)), ``The effective 
        functioning of a free government like ours depends largely on 
        the force of an informed public opinion. This calls for the 
        widest possible understanding of the quality of government 
        service rendered by all elective or appointed public officials 
        or employees.'';
        (2) the American people firmly believe that our system of 
    government must itself be governed by a presumption of openness;
        (3) the Freedom of Information Act establishes a ``strong 
    presumption in favor of disclosure'' as noted by the United States 
    Supreme Court in United States Department of State v. Ray (502 U.S. 
    164 (1991)), a presumption that applies to all agencies governed by 
    that Act;
        (4) ``disclosure, not secrecy, is the dominant objective of the 
    Act,'' as noted by the United States Supreme Court in Department of 
    Air Force v. Rose (425 U.S. 352 (1976));
        (5) in practice, the Freedom of Information Act has not always 
    lived up to the ideals of that Act; and
        (6) Congress should regularly review section 552 of title 5, 
    United States Code (commonly referred to as the Freedom of 
    Information Act), in order to determine whether further changes and 
    improvements are necessary to ensure that the Government remains 
    open and accessible to the American people and is always based not 
    upon the ``need to know'' but upon the fundamental ``right to 
    know''.
SEC. 3. PROTECTION OF FEE STATUS FOR NEWS MEDIA.
    Section 552(a)(4)(A)(ii) of title 5, United States Code, is amended 
by adding at the end the following:
    ``In this clause, the term `a representative of the news media' 
means any person or entity that gathers information of potential 
interest to a segment of the public, uses its editorial skills to turn 
the raw materials into a distinct work, and distributes that work to an 
audience. In this clause, the term `news' means information that is 
about current events or that would be of current interest to the 
public. Examples of news-media entities are television or radio 
stations broadcasting to the public at large and publishers of 
periodicals (but only if such entities qualify as disseminators of 
`news') who make their products available for purchase by or 
subscription by or free distribution to the general public. These 
examples are not all-inclusive. Moreover, as methods of news delivery 
evolve (for example, the adoption of the electronic dissemination of 
newspapers through telecommunications services), such alternative media 
shall be considered to be news-media entities. A freelance journalist 
shall be regarded as working for a news-media entity if the journalist 
can demonstrate a solid basis for expecting publication through that 
entity, whether or not the journalist is actually employed by the 
entity. A publication contract would present a solid basis for such an 
expectation; the Government may also consider the past publication 
record of the requester in making such a determination.''.
SEC. 4. RECOVERY OF ATTORNEY FEES AND LITIGATION COSTS.
    (a) In General.--Section 552(a)(4)(E) of title 5, United States 
Code, is amended--
        (1) by inserting ``(i)'' after ``(E)''; and
        (2) by adding at the end the following:
                ``(ii) For purposes of this subparagraph, a complainant 
            has substantially prevailed if the complainant has obtained 
            relief through either--
            ``(I) a judicial order, or an enforceable written agreement 
        or consent decree; or
            ``(II) a voluntary or unilateral change in position by the 
        agency, if the complainant's claim is not insubstantial.''.
    (b) Limitation.--Notwithstanding section 1304 of title 31, United 
States Code, no amounts may be obligated or expended from the Claims 
and Judgment Fund of the United States Treasury to pay the costs 
resulting from fees assessed under section 552(a)(4)(E) of title 5, 
United States Code. Any such amounts shall be paid only from funds 
annually appropriated for any authorized purpose for the Federal agency 
against which a claim or judgment has been rendered.
SEC. 5. DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS FOR ARBITRARY AND CAPRICIOUS REJECTIONS OF 
REQUESTS.
    Section 552(a)(4)(F) of title 5, United States Code, is amended--
        (1) by inserting ``(i)'' after ``(F)''; and
        (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(ii) The Attorney General shall--
        ``(I) notify the Special Counsel of each civil action described 
    under the first sentence of clause (i); and
        ``(II) annually submit a report to Congress on the number of 
    such civil actions in the preceding year.
    ``(iii) The Special Counsel shall annually submit a report to 
Congress on the actions taken by the Special Counsel under clause 
(i).''.
SEC. 6. TIME LIMITS FOR AGENCIES TO ACT ON REQUESTS.
    (a) Time Limits.--
        (1) In general.--Section 552(a)(6)(A) of title 5, United States 
    Code, is amended by inserting after clause (ii) the following:
        ``The 20-day period under clause (i) shall commence on the date 
    on which the request is first received by the appropriate component 
    of the agency, but in any event not later than ten days after the 
    request is first received by any component of the agency that is 
    designated in the agency's regulations under this section to 
    receive requests under this section. The 20-day period shall not be 
    tolled by the agency except--
                ``(I) that the agency may make one request to the 
            requester for information and toll the 20-day period while 
            it is awaiting such information that it has reasonably 
            requested from the requester under this section; or
                ``(II) if necessary to clarify with the requester 
            issues regarding fee assessment. In either case, the 
            agency's receipt of the requester's response to the 
            agency's request for information or clarification ends the 
            tolling period.''.
        (2) Effective date.--The amendment made by this subsection 
    shall take effect 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act.
    (b) Compliance With Time Limits.--
        (1) In general.--
            (A) Search fees.--Section 552(a)(4)(A) of title 5, United 
        States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
                ``(viii) An agency shall not assess search fees (or in 
            the case of a requester described under clause (ii)(II), 
            duplication fees) under this subparagraph if the agency 
            fails to comply with any time limit under paragraph (6), if 
            no unusual or exceptional circumstances (as those terms are 
            defined for purposes of paragraphs (6)(B) and (C), 
            respectively) apply to the processing of the request.''.
            (B) Public liaison.--Section 552(a)(6)(B)(ii) of title 5, 
        United States Code, is amended by inserting after the first 
        sentence the following: ``To aid the requester, each agency 
        shall make available its FOIA Public Liaison, who shall assist 
        in the resolution of any disputes between the requester and the 
        agency.''.
        (2) Effective date and application.--The amendment made by this 
    subsection shall take effect 1 year after the date of enactment of 
    this Act and apply to requests for information under section 552 of 
    title 5, United States Code, filed on or after that effective date.
SEC. 7. INDIVIDUALIZED TRACKING NUMBERS FOR REQUESTS AND STATUS 
INFORMATION.
    (a) In General.--Section 552(a) of title 5, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(7) Each agency shall--
        ``(A) establish a system to assign an individualized tracking 
    number for each request received that will take longer than ten 
    days to process and provide to each person making a request the 
    tracking number assigned to the request; and
        ``(B) establish a telephone line or Internet service that 
    provides information about the status of a request to the person 
    making the request using the assigned tracking number, including--
            ``(i) the date on which the agency originally received the 
        request; and
            ``(ii) an estimated date on which the agency will complete 
        action on the request.''.
    (b) Effective Date and Application.--The amendment made by this 
section shall take effect 1 year after the date of enactment of this 
Act and apply to requests for information under section 552 of title 5, 
United States Code, filed on or after that effective date.
SEC. 8. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
    (a) In General.--Section 552(e)(1) of title 5, United States Code, 
is amended--
        (1) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by inserting after the first comma 
    ``the number of occasions on which each statute was relied upon,'';
        (2) in subparagraph (C), by inserting ``and average'' after 
    ``median'';
        (3) in subparagraph (E), by inserting before the semicolon ``, 
    based on the date on which the requests were received by the 
    agency'';
        (4) by redesignating subparagraphs (F) and (G) as subparagraphs 
    (N) and (O), respectively; and
        (5) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the following:
            ``(F) the average number of days for the agency to respond 
        to a request beginning on the date on which the request was 
        received by the agency, the median number of days for the 
        agency to respond to such requests, and the range in number of 
        days for the agency to respond to such requests;
            ``(G) based on the number of business days that have 
        elapsed since each request was originally received by the 
        agency--
                ``(i) the number of requests for records to which the 
            agency has responded with a determination within a period 
            up to and including 20 days, and in 20-day increments up to 
            and including 200 days;
                ``(ii) the number of requests for records to which the 
            agency has responded with a determination within a period 
            greater than 200 days and less than 301 days;
                ``(iii) the number of requests for records to which the 
            agency has responded with a determination within a period 
            greater than 300 days and less than 401 days; and
                ``(iv) the number of requests for records to which the 
            agency has responded with a determination within a period 
            greater than 400 days;
            ``(H) the average number of days for the agency to provide 
        the granted information beginning on the date on which the 
        request was originally filed, the median number of days for the 
        agency to provide the granted information, and the range in 
        number of days for the agency to provide the granted 
        information;
            ``(I) the median and average number of days for the agency 
        to respond to administrative appeals based on the date on which 
        the appeals originally were received by the agency, the highest 
        number of business days taken by the agency to respond to an 
        administrative appeal, and the lowest number of business days 
        taken by the agency to respond to an administrative appeal;
            ``(J) data on the 10 active requests with the earliest 
        filing dates pending at each agency, including the amount of 
        time that has elapsed since each request was originally 
        received by the agency;
            ``(K) data on the 10 active administrative appeals with the 
        earliest filing dates pending before the agency as of September 
        30 of the preceding year, including the number of business days 
        that have elapsed since the requests were originally received 
        by the agency;
            ``(L) the number of expedited review requests that are 
        granted and denied, the average and median number of days for 
        adjudicating expedited review requests, and the number 
        adjudicated within the required 10 days;
            ``(M) the number of fee waiver requests that are granted 
        and denied, and the average and median number of days for 
        adjudicating fee waiver determinations;''.
    (b) Applicability to Agency and Each Principal Component of the 
Agency.--Section 552(e) of title 5, United States Code, is amended--
        (1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (5) as paragraphs 
    (3) through (6), respectively; and
        (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following:
        ``(2) Information in each report submitted under paragraph (1) 
    shall be expressed in terms of each principal component of the 
    agency and for the agency overall.''.
    (c) Public Availability of Data.--Section 552(e)(3) of title 5, 
United States Code, (as redesignated by subsection (b) of this section) 
is amended by adding at the end ``In addition, each agency shall make 
the raw statistical data used in its reports available electronically 
to the public upon request.''.
SEC. 9. OPENNESS OF AGENCY RECORDS MAINTAINED BY A PRIVATE ENTITY.
    Section 552(f) of title 5, United States Code, is amended by 
striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
        ``(2) `record' and any other term used in this section in 
    reference to information includes--
            ``(A) any information that would be an agency record 
        subject to the requirements of this section when maintained by 
        an agency in any format, including an electronic format; and
            ``(B) any information described under subparagraph (A) that 
        is maintained for an agency by an entity under Government 
        contract, for the purposes of records management.''.
  SEC. 10. OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SERVICES.
    (a) In General.--Section 552 of title 5, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(h)(1) There is established the Office of Government Information 
Services within the National Archives and Records Administration.
    ``(2) The Office of Government Information Services shall--
        ``(A) review policies and procedures of administrative agencies 
    under this section;
        ``(B) review compliance with this section by administrative 
    agencies; and
        ``(C) recommend policy changes to Congress and the President to 
    improve the administration of this section.
    ``(3) The Office of Government Information Services shall offer 
mediation services to resolve disputes between persons making requests 
under this section and administrative agencies as a non-exclusive 
alternative to litigation and, at the discretion of the Office, may 
issue advisory opinions if mediation has not resolved the dispute.
    ``(i) The Government Accountability Office shall conduct audits of 
administrative agencies on the implementation of this section and issue 
reports detailing the results of such audits.
    ``(j) Each agency shall designate a Chief FOIA Officer who shall be 
a senior official of such agency (at the Assistant Secretary or 
equivalent level).
    ``(k) The Chief FOIA Officer of each agency shall, subject to the 
authority of the head of the agency--
        ``(1) have agency-wide responsibility for efficient and 
    appropriate compliance with this section;
        ``(2) monitor implementation of this section throughout the 
    agency and keep the head of the agency, the chief legal officer of 
    the agency, and the Attorney General appropriately informed of the 
    agency's performance in implementing this section;
        ``(3) recommend to the head of the agency such adjustments to 
    agency practices, policies, personnel, and funding as may be 
    necessary to improve its implementation of this section;
        ``(4) review and report to the Attorney General, through the 
    head of the agency, at such times and in such formats as the 
    Attorney General may direct, on the agency's performance in 
    implementing this section;
        ``(5) facilitate public understanding of the purposes of the 
    statutory exemptions of this section by including concise 
    descriptions of the exemptions in both the agency's handbook issued 
    under subsection (g), and the agency's annual report on this 
    section, and by providing an overview, where appropriate, of 
    certain general categories of agency records to which those 
    exemptions apply; and
        ``(6) designate one or more FOIA Public Liaisons.
    ``(l) FOIA Public Liaisons shall report to the agency Chief FOIA 
Officer and shall serve as supervisory officials to whom a requester 
under this section can raise concerns about the service the requester 
has received from the FOIA Requester Center, following an initial 
response from the FOIA Requester Center Staff. FOIA Public Liaisons 
shall be responsible for assisting in reducing delays, increasing 
transparency and understanding of the status of requests, and assisting 
in the resolution of disputes.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take 
effect on the date of enactment of this Act.
  SEC. 11. REPORT ON PERSONNEL POLICIES RELATED TO FOIA.
    Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Office of Personnel Management shall submit to Congress a report that 
examines--
        (1) whether changes to executive branch personnel policies 
    could be made that would--
            (A) provide greater encouragement to all Federal employees 
        to fulfill their duties under section 552 of title 5, United 
        States Code; and
            (B) enhance the stature of officials administering that 
        section within the executive branch;
        (2) whether performance of compliance with section 552 of title 
    5, United States Code, should be included as a factor in personnel 
    performance evaluations for any or all categories of Federal 
    employees and officers;
        (3) whether an employment classification series specific to 
    compliance with sections 552 and 552a of title 5, United States 
    Code, should be established;
        (4) whether the highest level officials in particular agencies 
    administering such sections should be paid at a rate of pay equal 
    to or greater than a particular minimum rate; and
        (5) whether other changes to personnel policies can be made to 
    ensure that there is a clear career advancement track for 
    individuals interested in devoting themselves to a career in 
    compliance with such sections; and
        (6) whether the executive branch should require any or all 
    categories of Federal employees to undertake awareness training of 
    such sections.
  SEC. 12. REQUIREMENT TO DESCRIBE EXEMPTIONS AUTHORIZING DELETIONS OF 
      MATERIAL PROVIDED UNDER FOIA.
    Section 552(b) of title 5, United States Code, is amended in the 
matter after paragraph (9)--
        (1) in the second sentence, by inserting after ``amount of 
    information deleted'' the following: ``, and the exemption under 
    which the deletion is made,''; and
        (2) in the third sentence, by inserting after ``amount of the 
    information deleted'' the following: ``, and the exemption under 
    which the deletion is made,''.

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.