2024–2026 Freedom of Information Act Advisory Committee Nominations Now Open
Press Release · Thursday, June 13, 2024

Washington, DC

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) seeks member nominations for the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Advisory Committee (Committee). The Committee serves as a deliberative body to study the FOIA landscape across the executive branch and advise the Archivist of the United States on potential improvements to FOIA administration.

Nominations for Committee members must be received by 5 p.m. EDT on Monday, July 15, 2024. Email nominations to the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) at foia-advisory-committee@nara.gov.

Background

The National Archives established the FOIA Advisory Committee in accordance with the United States Second Open Government National Action Plan, released on December 5, 2013. The Committee operates under the directive in FOIA, 5 U.S.C. 552(h)(2)(C), that the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) within NARA “identify procedures and methods for improving compliance” with FOIA. The Committee is governed by the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended, 5 U.S.C. 10. 

NARA initially chartered the Committee on May 20, 2014. Archivist of the United States Dr. Colleen Shogan renewed the Committee's charter for a sixth term on April 26, 2024. Member appointment terms run for two years, concurrent with the Committee charter.

The 2024–2026 FOIA Advisory Committee will consist of no more than 20 individuals, including government and non-government representatives. Members are selected in accordance with the charter. Considerations when making appointments will include geographic diversity; diversity in company size or represented organization; and diversity in representations of business and industry, academic institutions, non-profit and non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders in accordance with the charter.

Government members will include, at a minimum: 

• three FOIA professionals from Cabinet-level Departments; 
• three FOIA professionals from non-Cabinet agencies; 
• the Director of the Department of Justice’s Office of Information Policy or their designee; and 
• the Director of OGIS or their designee.

Non-governmental members will include, at a minimum:

• two individuals representing the interests of non-governmental organizations that advocate on FOIA matters; 
• one individual representing the interests of FOIA requesters who qualify for the “all other” FOIA requester fee category; 
• one individual representing the interests of requesters who qualify for the “news media” FOIA requester fee category; 
• one individual representing the interests of requesters who qualify for the “commercial” FOIA requester fee category; 
• one individual representing the interests of historians and history-related organizations; and
• one individual representing the interests of academia.

All Committee members are expected to attend a minimum of 11 public meetings during the two-year Committee term. Meetings will be held in-person or virtually. All Committee members are expected to volunteer for one or more working subcommittees that will meet at various times during the two-year term. 

The first meeting of the 2024–2026 Committee term is scheduled for Monday, September 9, 2024, at 10 a.m. ET in the William G. McGowan Theater at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC. The second meeting, which will be virtual, is scheduled for Friday, September 13, 2024, also beginning at 10 a.m. ET. Meeting notices will be published in the Federal Register.

Additional information on how to apply can be found at: www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2024-12398/requests-for-nominations-freedom-of-information-act-advisory-committee 

The Archivist of the United States will review nominations and make final appointments prior to the first Committee meeting in September. OGIS will notify the appointees in writing.