Freedom of Information Act

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. Section 552, is a statute that provides a process by which every person may request access to federal agency records or information. Federal agencies, such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, are required to disclose records upon receiving a written request for them unless those records are protected from disclosure by any of the nine exemptions and three exclusions of the FOIA. The FOIA applies only to federal agencies and the records in their custody. The FOIA does not create an access to records held by Congress, the courts or by state and local governments. Any requests for state or local government records should be directed to the appropriate state or local government agency.

EEOC FOIA Contacts:

FOIA Service Center

(202) 663-4640 (phone)
(202) 663-7026 (TTY)
(202) 663-4639 (fax)
FOIA@EEOC.gov

EEOC FOIA Officers

FOIA Public Liaison

Chief FOIA Officer

Reed L. Russell
Legal Counsel
(202) 663-4640 (phone)

Agency FOIA Officers

Additional FOIA Information

• Text of the Freedom of Information Act
• EEOC's FOIA Reference Guide You may find the Reference guide to be of particular interest because it provides such basic information as:
  • where and how to make a FOIA request
  • the time for response
  • fees and fee waivers
  • responses to initial requests and
  • how and where to file an appeal of a determination made on a FOIA request.
• Questions and Answers: FOIA Requests
• Questions and Answers: FOIA Requests for Charge Files
• Report and Plan of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as Required by Executive order 13392: Improving Agency Disclosure of Information   June 7, 2006
  • Backlog Reduction Goals for Fiscal Years 2008, 2009, and 2010
• EEOC's FOIA Regulations codified at 29 C.F.R. Part 1610
• Freedom of Information Act Fee Schedule (revises §1610.15) October 3, 2005
• EEOC Order Number 150.001: Disclosure of Information Under the Freedom of Information Act
• EEOC's Reading Room
• Annual Report
  • 2007 FOIA Annual Report
  • 2006 FOIA Annual Report
  • 2005 FOIA Annual Report
  • 2004 FOIA Annual Report
  • 2003 FOIA Annual Report
  • 2002 FOIA Annual Report
  • 2001 FOIA Annual Report
  • 2000 FOIA Annual Report
  • 1999 FOIA Annual Report
  • 1998 FOIA Annual Report
  • 1997 FOIA Annual Report

Privacy Act Information

The Privacy Act, 5 U.S.C. Section 552a, passed by Congress in 1974, establishes certain controls over what personal information is collected by the federal government and how it is used. The act guarantees three primary rights: (1) the right to see records about oneself, subject to the Privacy Act's exemptions; (2) the right to amend that record if it is inaccurate, irrelevant, untimely or incomplete; and (3) the right to sue the government for violations of the statute, including permitting others to see your records, unless specifically permitted by the act.

• Text of the Privacy Act
• EEOC's Privacy Act Regulations (29 C.F.R. Part 1611)
• EEOC's Privacy Act Systems of Records Notices, including EEOC/GOVT-1:
  • Publication of Notices of Systems of Records and Proposed New Systems of Records, July 30, 2002: HTML | PDF
  • Publication of Notice of Proposed New Systems of Records and Amendment of Systems To Add New System Managers, April 26, 2006: HTML | PDF
• Privacy Impact Assessments
  • EEO-1 Survey System
  • Integrated Mission System (IMS)
  • EEOC Assessment System (EAS)
  • EEOC Document Management System (DMS)
  • EEOC Training and Outreach Online Registration System
• Your Right to Federal Records
  This pamphlet is a joint publication of DOJ and the General Services Administration concerning both the FOIA and the Privacy Act.

This page was last modified on March 21, 2008.

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