{
  "id": "R46292",
  "type": "CRS Report",
  "typeId": "REPORTS",
  "number": "R46292",
  "active": true,
  "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
  "versions": [
    {
      "source": "EveryCRSReport.com",
      "id": 621127,
      "date": "2020-03-27",
      "retrieved": "2020-03-30T22:16:35.263497",
      "title": "Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Processing Changes Due to COVID-19: In Brief",
      "summary": "As federal agencies adjust their operations in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, activities related to the processing and release of government information are also changing. Agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation within the Department of Justice, the U.S. Postal Service, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention within the Department of Health and Human Services, among others, have announced changes to their processing of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests due to the pandemic.\nGovernment information requests through FOIA may be impacted by COVID-19 in two ways. First, certain types of information related to the outbreak may be eligible for expedited consideration; FOIA requests are to be expedited as soon as practicable in cases in which the person requesting the records demonstrates a compelling need. Second, processes for locating information may change due to employees working remotely or on administrative leave. \nThis In Brief report provides an overview of the typical FOIA request process and usual conditions for requesting expedited processing of a request. The report then provides analysis of the impact of agency procedures in response to the pandemic on government information availability, and concludes with a survey of announced agency processing alterations.",
      "type": "CRS Report",
      "typeId": "REPORTS",
      "active": true,
      "formats": [
        {
          "format": "HTML",
          "encoding": "utf-8",
          "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/R46292",
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          "filename": "files/20200327_R46292_6181f3c02e0b1d84f6b55c54941bb6cc31a6fb7d.html",
          "images": {}
        },
        {
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          "url": "https://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R46292",
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        }
      ],
      "topics": [
        {
          "source": "IBCList",
          "id": 4817,
          "name": "Executive Branch"
        },
        {
          "source": "IBCList",
          "id": 4860,
          "name": "Oversight"
        },
        {
          "source": "IBCList",
          "id": 4930,
          "name": "Government Information"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "topics": [
    "American Law"
  ]
}