Statutes & Amendments

• The Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552 As Amended By Public Law No. 110-175, 121 Stat. 2524

• OPEN Government Act of 2007 (S. 2488)

• The Privacy Act of 1974 5 U.S.C. § 552a

More on DHS.gov

• Federal Register Notice of Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act Procedures Interim Final Rule (PDF, 15 pages - 148 KB)

• FOIA Management Directive (PDF, 7 pages – 23 KB) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Resources

• Chief FOIA Officer's Memorandum: Freedom of Information Act and 2014 Sunshine Week, March 16, 2015 (PDF, 4 pages - 219 KB)
• Senior Director, FOIA Operations Memorandum: Department of Homeland Security's FOIA Reading Room Requirements, March 16, 2015 (PDF, 2 pages - 78 KB)
• Senior Director, FOIA Operations Memorandum: Implementation of Technology to Address Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Processing, March 16, 2015 (PDF, 2 pages - 75 KB)
• Chief FOIA Officer's Memorandum: Freedom of Information Act and 2014 Sunshine Week, March 11, 2014 (PDF, 4 pages - 923 KB)
• OLA Signed Letter to Congress: Congressional Correspondence Logs, March 12, 2013 (PDF, 1 page - 72.2 KB)
• Acting Chief FOIA Officer's Memorandum: Proper Use of "Still Interested" Letters in Compliance with Guidance from the Department of Justice, Office of Information Policy, October 15, 2012 (PDF, 1 page - 247 KB)
• Working Group to Safeguard Privacy, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties in the Department's Use and Support of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Memorandum, Dated September 14, 2012 (PDF, 3 pages - 22 KB)
• Chief FOIA Officer’s Memorandum: DHS Freedom of Information Act Policy Guidance: 1) Processing "Misdirected" FOIA Requests; and 2) Implementation of the Department of Justice Office of Information Policy (OIP) December 2011 OIP Guidance: Referrals, Consultations, and Coordination: Procedures for Processing Records When Another Agency or Entity Has an Interest in Them (PDF, 11 pages – 672 KB)
• Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request Logs (PDF, 1 page - 61 KB)
• Chief FOIA Officer's Memorandum: Government Openness: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) applies both the letter and spirit of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), January 31, 2012 (PDF, 2 pages -122 KB)
• Director, Office of Management and Budget’s Open Government Directive, December 8, 2009 (PDF, 11 pages - 86 KB)

Homeland Security Open Government

• Chief FOIA Officer’s Memorandum: DHS Privacy Office Procedures and Standards for Effectively Implementing Section (a)(2)(D) of the FOIA, December 8, 2010 (PDF, 2 pages – 141 KB)
• Acting Chief FOIA Officer's Memorandum: Updated U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Application of FOIA Exemption (b)(6) to DHS Personnel Information Contained within Agency Records, June 5, 2013 (PDF, 2 pages - 339KB)
• Reassignment of Pending and Future Office of General Counsel Freedom of Information Act Appeals to the Office of United States Coast Guard Administrative Law Judges, July 8, 2011 (PDF, 2 pages - 743 KB)
• Reassignment of Certain Freedom of Information Act Appeals to United States Coast Guard Administrative Law Judges, July 8, 2011 (PDF, 4 pages - 1.99 MB)
• Chief FOIA Officer’s Memorandum: U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Application of FOIA Exemption (b)(6) to DHS Personnel Information Contained within Agency Records, November 24, 2010 (PDF, 2 pages - 95 KB)
• Deputy Secretary Lute’s Memorandum: Proactive Disclosure of Senior Officials’ Calendars, November 12, 2010 (PDF, 6 pages – 1.96 MB)
• Chief FOIA Officer and Executive Director, Office of Accessible Systems & Technologies Joint Memorandum: Creating Accessible PDFs, June 14, 2010 (PDF, 5 pages - 743 KB)
• Chief FOIA Officer and Chief Security Officer Joint Memorandum: Redacting Sensitive Information, May 5, 2010 (PDF, 4 pages – 1.47 MB)
• Chief FOIA Officer's Memorandum: Freedom of Information Act and Sunshine Week, March 16, 2010 (PDF, 3 pages - 147 KB)
• Chief FOIA Officer's Memorandum: Calendar Format for Proactive Disclosure, October 30, 2009 (PDF, 4 pages - 157 KB)
• Chief FOIA Officer’s Memorandum on Proactive Disclosure and Departmental Compliance with Subsection (a)(2) of the Freedom of Information Act, August 26, 2009 (PDF, 3 pages - 1.37 MB)
• Chief FOIA Officer's Memorandum: Overview of the Freedom of Information Act, May 28, 2009 (PDF, 3 pages - 113 KB)
• Chief FOIA Officer's Memorandum: Attorney General’s Guidelines on the Freedom of Information Act (PDF, 5 pages – 1.87 MB)
• Chief FOIA Officer and Associate General Counsel – General Law Joint Memorandum: DHS Treatment of DHS Personnel Information Contained within Agency Records Processed Pursuant to the FOIA, March 4, 2008 (PDF, 2 pages - 743 KB)
• Chief FOIA Officer's Memorandum: DHS Management of FOIA Requests Seeking Agency Records on Ongoing Law Enforcement Investigations, February 25, 2008 (PDF, 2 pages - 58 KB)
• Chief FOIA Officer and Associate General Counsel – General Law Joint Memorandum: DHS Implementation of S. 2488, the Openness Promotes Effectiveness in our National Government Act of 2007, February 5, 2008 (PDF, 3 pages - 155 KB)
• Presidential Memorandum on Freedom of Information Act, Issued January 21, 2009
• White House Memorandum Freedom of Information Act (PDF, 2 pages - 90 KB)
• Executive Order 13,392, "Improving Agency Disclosure of Information," December 14, 2005
• Attorney General's Memorandum on Freedom of Information Act, Issued March 19, 2009 (PDF, 3 pages - 334 KB)
• Department of Justice Office of Information Policy

FOIA.gov

• Department of Justice FOIA Reference Materials
• Department of Justice FOIA Guide, June 2009
• Department of Justice Privacy Act Overview, February 2010
• Principal FOIA Contacts at Federal Agencies
• Government Information Location Service (GILS)

National Archives and Records Administration

• NARA Office of Government Information Services (OGIS)
• OIP Guidance: New Requirement To Route Misdirected FOIA Requests
• OIP Guidance: New Limitations on Assessing Fees
• OIP Guidance: New Limitations on Tolling the FOIA's Response Time
• OIP Guidance: Assigning Tracking Numbers and Providing Status Information for Requests
• Chief FOIA Officer’s Memorandum: Guidelines on Reporting on Significant FOIA Activity for Inclusion in the Cabinet Report to the White House, July 7, 2009 (PDF, 3 pages - 177 KB)
• FOIA Section of the DHS Cabinet Report to the White House: Submission Guidelines, August 4, 2006 (PDF, 2 pages - 709 KB)
• Chief Privacy Officer’s Memorandum: Cabinet Report Submission Guidelines, February 9, 2005 (PDF, 1 pages - 407 KB)