    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book II)]
    [October 2, 1996]
    [Pages 1743-1744]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on Signing the Electronic Freedom of Information Act
    Amendments of 1996
    October 2, 1996

        I am pleased to sign into law today H.R. 3802, the ``Electronic
    Freedom of Information Act Amendments of 1996.''
        This bill represents the culmination of several years of leadership
    by Senator Patrick Leahy to bring this important law up to date. Enacted
    in 1966, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was the first law to
    establish an effective legal right of access to government information,
    underscoring the crucial need in a democracy for open access to
    government information by citizens. In the last 30 years, citizens,
    scholars, and reporters have used FOIA to obtain vital and valuable
    government information.
        Since 1966, the world has changed a great deal. Records are no
    longer principally maintained in paper format. Now, they are maintained
    in a variety of technologies, including CD ROM and computer tapes and
    diskettes, making it easier to put more information on-line.
        My Administration has launched numerous initiatives to bring more
    government information to the public. We have established World Wide Web
    pages, which identify and link information resources throughout the
    Federal Government. An enormous range of documents and data, including
    the Federal budget, is now available on-line or in electronic format,
    making government more accessible than ever. And in the last year, we
    have declassified unprecedented amounts of national security material,
    including information on nuclear testing.
        The legislation I sign today brings FOIA into the information and
    electronic age by clarifying that it applies to records maintained in
    electronic format. This law also broadens public access to government
    information by placing more material on-line and expanding the role of
    the agency reading room. As the Government actively disseminates more
    information, I hope that there will be less need to use FOIA to obtain
    government information.
        This legislation not only affirms the importance, but also the
    challenge of maintaining openness in government. In a period of
    government downsizing, the numbers of requests continue to rise. In
    addition, growing numbers of requests are for information that must be
    reviewed for declassification, or in which there is a proprietary
    interest or a privacy concern. The result in many agencies is huge
    backlogs of requests.
        In this Act, the Congress recognized that with today's limited
    resources, it is frequently difficult to respond to a FOIA request
    within the 10 days formerly required in the law. This legislation
    extends the legal response period to 20 days.
        More importantly, it recognizes that many FOIA requests are so broad
    and complex that they cannot possibly be completed even within

    [[Page 1744]]

    this longer period, and the time spent processing them only delays other
    requests. Accordingly, H.R. 3802 establishes procedures for an agency to
    discuss with requesters ways of tailoring large requests to improve
    responsiveness. This approach explicitly recognizes that FOIA works best
    when agencies and requesters work together.
        Our country was founded on democratic principles of openness and
    accountability, and for 30 years, FOIA has supported these principles.
    Today, the ``Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments of 1996''
    reforges an important link between the United States Government and the
    American people.

                                                          William J. Clinton

    The White House,

    October 2, 1996.

    Note: H.R. 3802, approved October 2, was assigned Public Law No. 104-
    231.