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FOIA bill introduced during Sunshine Week passes U.S. Senate

Sponsored by Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and strongly supported by ASNE and other members of the Sunshine in Government Initiative, the same bill was first introduced in 2005. It passed the Senate last year but died in the House.

The Faster FOIA Act of 2011 recently passed the upper chamber and was sent to the House for consideration. The bill would establish a commission to study the reasons for federal agency delays in processing FOIA requests, and to make recommendations about how to reduce the massive backlog afflicting many agencies. “This commission will identify methods to reduce delays in the processing of FOIA requests and ensure the efficient and equitable administration of FOIA throughout the federal government," said the bill's co-author, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. Sponsored by Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and strongly supported by ASNE and other members of the Sunshine in Government Initiative, the same bill was first introduced in 2005. It passed the Senate last year but died in the House.

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