5.3: Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Program

Update our FOIA website in response to the requirements set forth in the Open Government Directive.

Other Information:

The DOT built updated its FOIA website in response to the requirements set forth in the Open Government Directive. This website can be found at http://www.dot.gov/foia/foiaopengov.htm. The DOT has a DOT-level FOIA office located in OST and FOIA offices in each of its components. In FY 2009, throughout DOT, 100 staff-years were spent in administering its FOIA programs. The 100 staff years include 34 full-time FOIA employees, and 66 staff-years of effort by people who worked part-time in performing FOIA-related functions. (The 66 staff-years include FOIA staff and attorneys who worked part-time on FOIA, program office staff who searched for and reviewed responsive records, and the time spent on FOIA by FOIA Public Liaisons, supervisors, and managers.) The following is a breakdown of FOIA organizational structure by component: • Several OAs, including FMCSA, FRA, FTA, MARAD, OIG, OST, PHMSA, and SLSDC, have centralized programs, where all FOIA responsibilities and activities are conducted by a central FOIA office. These centralized FOIA offices obtain records from their various program offices, review the documents, and make determinations regarding release of the documents. • The FAA and FHWA operate their FOIA programs in a decentralized fashion, in which FOIA responsibilities and activities are shared among numerous field and headquarters program offices. Each of the decentralized offices receives FOIA requests, searches for records, reviews records, and makes releasability determinations. In these decentralized programs, there is an office at headquarters that oversees the implementation of the FOIA program and coordinates its component’s portion of the Department’s annual FOIA report. • NHTSA’s FOIA responsibilities and activities are conducted by the primary FOIA office, as well as one other headquarters program office. • RITA’s FOIA responsibilities and activities are primarily shared between a headquarters FOIA office and a field office (Volpe), with a second field office performing a small number of FOIA activities. The headquarters FOIA office coordinates RITA’s portion of the annual report. Additional FOIA Roles in the Department: • Departmental FOIA Office: The DOT-wide FOIA Office provides direction, leadership, guidance, and assistance to the FOIA offices throughout DOT. This office hosts a monthly DOT-wide meeting for FOIA offices throughout DOT. The DOT FOIA Officer also serves as the FOIA Officer for the OST FOIA office. This office coordinates the overall FOIA annual report for the Department, as well as the Chief FOIA Officer report. • Chief FOIA Officer: The Department’s Chief FOIA Officer provides high-level oversight and support to the Department’s FOIA programs, and “recommends adjustments to agency practices, personnel, and funding as may be necessary” to improve FOIA administration, including through an annual Chief FOIA Officer Report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. • The FOIA Public Liaisons: The DOT has FOIA Public Liaisons throughout the Department, who serve as officials to whom FOIA requesters can raise concerns about service they have received from the FOIA Offices. FOIA Public Liaisons report to the Chief FOIA Officer on their FOIA-related activities.

Indicator(s):

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