Freedom of Information Act : DHS has taken steps to enhance its program, but opportunities exist to improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness : report to congressional committees.

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requires federal agencies to generally provide the public with access to government information. In December 2005, the President issued Executive Order 13392, to improve agencies' FOIA processing. The order required each agency to review its operations and...

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Bibliographic Details
Corporate Author:	United States. Government Accountability Office
Format:	Government Document eBook
Language:	English
Published:	[Washington, D.C.] : U.S. Govt. Accountability Office, [2009]
Subjects:	United States. > Freedom of Information Act. United States. > Department of Homeland Security > Rules and practice. Freedom of information > Government policy > United States. Transparency in government > United States > Evaluation.
Online Access:	https://purl.fdlp.gov/GPO/LPS113165

Description
Summary:	The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requires federal agencies to generally provide the public with access to government information. In December 2005, the President issued Executive Order 13392, to improve agencies' FOIA processing. The order required each agency to review its operations and develop plans for improvement. Since its establishment, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has accounted for a major and increasing portion of pending FOIA requests governmentwide. While it has reported achieving a notable reduction since 2006, DHS still possesses the largest backlog of overdue requests in the government. GAO was asked to determine (1) what key steps DHS has taken to enhance its FOIA program, and (2) what opportunities exist to improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of FOIA operations across the department. GAO is recommending that key practices used by certain DHS components and other agencies be implemented more consistently across the department.
Item Description:	Title from title screen (viewed on Mar. 23, 2009). "March 2009." "GAO-09-260." Electronic resource.
Physical Description:	ii, 33 pages : digital, PDF file.
Format:	System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Mode of access: World Wide Web from GAO web site. Address as of 3/23/09: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09260.pdf ; current access available via PURL.
Bibliography:	Includes bibliographical references.