Frequently Asked Questions Concerning
NASA's Freedom of Information Act Program
Below are some Frequently Asked Questions concerning NASA's
FOIA Program. The answers are provided as a quick reference.
For a complete more through explanation of NASA's FOIA program,
please refer to NASA's FOIA Reference Guide located on the
NASA FOIA website. The URL for the reference guide is http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/FOIA/EO_FOIA_Ref_Guide.pdf.
What is the Freedom of Information Act?
The FOIA was FOIA enacted in 1966 -- Title 5 U.S.C. § 552
and provides that any person has the right of access to Federal
Agency records, except to the extent that such records are
protected from release by a FOIA exemption or a special law
enforcement record exclusion.
How do I make a FOIA request to NASA?
NASA requires requests must be in writing, either handwritten
or typed; and they may be submitted by mail, fax or email.
You may use the forms provided by each Center or you may mail
a letter or an email. Letters and emails must request the
specific document you are seeking along with a mailing address.
Some requests may be answered electronically.
Where should I send the request?
NASA is organized into 13 FOIA Requester Service Centers.
Within NASA, each center and component processes its own requests
for records. Therefore, your request will receive the quickest
possible response if it is addressed directly to the FOIA
office that you believe has the records you are seeking. Below
is contact information for each FOIA Requester Service Center
NASA Ames Research Center (ARC) - NASA2
Contracts Only
Moffett Field, California 94035
Kelly Garcia, FOIA Manager
Email: foia@arc.nasa.gov
Tele: 650.604.3273 Fax: 650.604.0688
NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC) - NAS4
Contracts Only
Edwards, California 93523
Kim Lewis, DFRC FOIA Manager
Email: foia@dfrc.nasa.gov
Tele: 661.276.2704 Fax: 661.276.3566
NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) - NAS3
Contracts Only
Cleveland, Ohio 44135
Angela Pierce, GRC FOIA Officer
Email: foia@grc.nasa.gov
Tele: 1-866-404-FOIA (3642) Fax: 216.433.5489
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) - NAS5 Contracts
Only
Greenbelt, Maryland 20771
Joan Belt, GSFC FOIA Manager
Email: foia@gsfc.nasa.gov
Tele: 301.286.4721 Fax: 301.286.1712
NASA Headquarters (HQ) NASW Contracts Only
Washington, DC 20546
Kellie Robinson, HQ FOIA Officer
LaShonda Goodwyn, FOIA Specialist
Mary F. Bell, FOIA Admin. Specialist
Email: hq-foia@nasa.gov
Tele: 202.358.2265 Fax: 202.358.4331
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) -
NAS7 Contracts Only
Pasadena, California 91109
Dennis Mahon, JPL FOIA Officer
Email: foia@jpl.nasa.gov
Tele: 818.393.6779 Fax: 818.393. 316 0
NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC )- NAS9 Contracts Only
Houston, Texas 77058
Stella Luna, JSC FOIA Officer
Email: foia@jsc.nasa.gov
Tele: 281.483.8612 Fax: 281.483.4876
NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) NAS10 Contracts
Only
Kennedy Space Center, Florida 32899
Penny Myers, KSC FOIA Officer
Tele: 321.867. 9280
Gwendolyn Gamble, KSC FOIA Coordinator
Email: foia@ksc.nasa.gov
Tele: 321.867. 2745 Fax: 321.867. 8007
NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) - NAS1 Contracts
Only
Hampton, Virginia 23681
Cheryl Cleghorn, LaRC FOIA Officer
LaRaunce Fleming , FOIA Assistant
Email: foia@larc.nasa.gov
Tele: 757.864.2497 Fax: 757.864.6333
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)
- NAS8 Contracts Only
Huntsville, Alabama 35812
Judi Hollingsworth, MSFC FOIA Officer
Email: foia@msfc.nasa.gov
Tele: 256.544.1837 Fax: 256.544.0007
NASA Stennis Space Center (SSC) - NAS13 Contracts Only
Stennis Space Center, Mississippi 39529
Joy Smith, SSC FOIA Officer
Email: foia@ssc.nasa.gov
Tele: 228.688.2118 Fax: 228.688.7499
Is there a fee for obtaining records through the FOIA?
There is no initial fee to file a FOIA request; in fact,
in the majority of requests made to NASA, no fees are ever
charged. By law, however, an agency is entitled to charge
certain fees, which depend on the particular category of FOIA
requester that you fall into. Please refer to the NASA
FOIA Requester Guide for a complete listing of fees and
category of requesters.
How long will it take to process my FOIA request?
Under the statute, all federal agencies are required to respond
to a FOIA request within twenty business days, excluding Saturdays,
Sundays, and legal holidays. This time period does not begin
until the request is actually received by the FOIA office
of the NASA center that maintains the records sought. Although
NASA makes every effort to respond to FOIA requests as quickly
as possible, in some cases it simply cannot do so within the
specified time period. If a time extension is needed, the
center may notify you of this in writing or by phone. (For
a more complete explanation of Response Times please refer
to the
NASA FOIA Reference Guide.)
How will I receive the documents I have requested?
Documents requested will be mailed or provided electronically
via email. Each request will include a letter from the FOIA
Public Liaison Officer stating the documents requested and
explanation of any exemptions or deletions of the requested
documents.
What if I have concerns with the processing of my
FOIA request?
Under Executive Order 13392, dated: December 14, 2005, FOIA
requesters also may contact an agency's FOIA Requester Service
Center(s) to check on the status of their FOIA requests. As
mentioned above, NASA has established such a center for each
of its 13 center and management offices, with a
FOIA Public Liaison named for each, whom FOIA requesters
may contact by telephone if they are dissatisfied with the
response of the center's FOIA Requester Service Center. FOIA
requesters are strongly encouraged to make use of these new
services that are now available to them.
I contacted the FOIA Requester Service Center where
I sent my request and I still have concerns, what should I
do?
If after contacting the FOIA Public Liaison Officer at the
center you submitted the request you still are not satisfied,
you should contact either:
Chief FOIA Public Liaison Officer
– Stephen McConnell
Deputy Chief FOIA Public Liaison Officer
– Judi Hollingsworth
(877) 627-FOIA
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