Electronic Reading Room

The Electronic FOIA Amendments of 1996 was enacted, in part, to make conventional reading room records more readily available, most efficiently via online access. In response, federal agencies established FOIA libraries, commonly referred to as Electronic Reading Room.  

Legislation mandates an agency make available:

• Records that have become the subject of subsequent FOIA requests; or
• Records that are likely to be the subject of multiple requests in the future, based upon the nature of the records and types of requests regularly received.

Below are the four categories of FOIA electronic records.

5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(2)(A) Records – Final opinions and orders made in the adjudication of cases that may be cited, used, or relied upon as precedents in future adjudications.

5 U.S.C. § 552 (a)(2)(B) Records – Statements of policy and interpretations that have been adopted by the agency and are not published in the Federal Register.

5 U.S.C. § 552 (a)(2)(C) Records – Administrative staff manuals and instructions, or portions thereof, that establish DoD policy or interpretations of policy that affect the public. See below.

5 U.S.C. § 552 (a)(2)(D) Records – Records released to the public, under the FOIA, that are or will likely become the subject of subsequent requests.    

FOIA REPORTS

Department of Defense

Defense Finance and Accounting Service