FSIS FOIA Reading Room

The Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments of 1996 (E-FOIA) requires agencies to make certain types of records, created by the agency on or after November 1, 1996, available electronically (Reading Room). Under E-FOIA, individuals can obtain electronic access to certain agency records without having to make a formal FOIA request (5 U.S.C. §552(a)(2) (2000)). By the same token, records required to be made publicly available pursuant to FOIA section (a)(2) ordinarily cannot be the subject of regular “FOIA requests.” (5 U.S.C. §552(a)(3)(A)).

The FSIS Reading Room contains documents specifically identified for inclusion by FOIA section (a)(2) and 7 CFR Subtitle A, Part 1, Section 1.4, and fall in the following four categories:

FOIA Request Reports

The reports provide a listing of FSIS FOIA requests received during the designated one-month period. Receive email notification when the Report of FOIA Requests is updated.

FOIA Logs

To find information about FOIA requests that have already been processed by FSIS, you can review or download FSIS's FOIA Logs. The FOIA Log includes an abbreviated request description, tracking number, the date requests are closed, and will tell you if records of interest to you have already been processed. Please note that first-party requests submitted by or on behalf of individuals asking for their own records are not included in the FOIA Log. Receive email notification when the Report of FOIA Logs is updated.