FOIA
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a law that requires government entities to share their information with citizens. There are different versions of this, but most city governments, county governments, school districts, state agencies and other local taxing entities are required to make non-classified documents available to those who request information.
How to FOIA
Some government information is available online, so check the web before you take the time to submit a FOIA request.
FOIA rules also vary from state to state, so make sure to check out your local rules. You can learn about your state rules online and use an online “letter generator” at the Student Press Law Center (http://www.splc.org/foiletter.asp) or Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (www.rcfp.org/foi.html). Other excellent sites on how to access government information include www.citizenaccess.org and http://www.citmedia.org/node/804.
Fees
Non-profit organizations and individuals seeking information for personal use are assessed small administrative fees for document duplication and for the time it takes to carry out the search. For federal FOIA requests, no fee is charged for requests that require less than two hours’ time and fewer than 100 copied pages.
Be very specific about the information you need to collect and which agency it is from. In most cases, it is a good idea to call ahead to be sure that you’re asking the right department, sending your request to the right person, and keeping things friendly.
Putting together a game plan
As you do your research, you’ll need another set of facts: local deadlines, local rules, and local options for reform. Are you thinking of conducting a recall campaign? Find out your deadlines early and create a calendar of goals between now and then. Working to gather signatures? Find out rules and regulations ahead of time. Planning ahead will be crucial for the success of your project.
