Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
The Freedom of Information Act, generally provides that any person has an enforceable right to obtain access to federal agency records, except to the extent that such records (or portions of them) are protected from public disclosure.
There is a great deal of Commission information available without an official FOIA request. This includes, but is not limited to: agreement filings; commonly used forms; Commission decisions; final and proposed rules; Commission regulations; news releases; and a list of licensed ocean transportation intermediaries. A complete list of available information can be found at 46 CFR Part 503.
If the information you are requesting is not listed, Freedom of Information Act Requests must be directed in writing to the Secretary, Federal Maritime Commission, Washington, D.C. 20573, and must reasonably describe the record or records sought.
In addition, you may call the FMC FOIA Requester Service Center, at 202-523-5707. An employee trained and knowledgeable in FOIA will answer any questions you have about a FOIA request. In addition, they will help you focus your request since more specific questions can often be processed faster and have less chance of photocopying charges to the requester.
If you would like to file a FOIA request electronically, please e-mail secretary@fmc.gov. Please put the words "FOIA Request" in the subject line, and then reasonably describe the record or records sought in the e-mail message. Please include contact information so someone from the Office of the Secretary can respond to your request as soon as possible.
The FOIA Public Liaison is Karen Gregory. She can be reached at 202-523-5725 if you have any problems with the FOIA Requestor Service Center.
Requests will be processed by the Secretary, within the timeframes and pursuant to the criteria outlined in 46 CFR Part 503. Appeals of denials by the Secretary may be filed with the Chairman.
FOIA Annual Reports issued by the Commission are available in electronic format and are listed below in chronological order. For assistance locating reports not listed below, please contact the Office of the Secretary.
Frequently asked questions about FOIA can be found here. Frequently requested FOIA information can be found here.
On December 14, 2005, the President issued Executive Order 13,392, "Improving Agency Disclosure of Information." As part of the implementation of this order, the FMC has developed an agency-specific plan for improvement of the administration of the Freedom of Information Act. A copy of that report can be found here. An Updated Status Report on the FMC's FOIA Improvement Plan can be found here.
The FMC's FOIA Backlog Reduction Goals for Fiscal Years 2008 to 2010 can be found here.
Format Icons
We have coded each type of electronic file with a different icon so that once you identify the format that you prefer, you can easily find other files using the same format. The Format icons are:
Adobe Acrobat PDF (Portable Document Format) Image: These files can be viewed and printed with Adobe Acrobat software, including the free Acrobat Reader. Click here to down load your free copy at www.adobe.com.
HTML: These files are provided in HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) format and can be viewed and printed using your internet browser (e.g., Microsoft Internet Explorer). No additional software is necessary.