The Freedom of Information Act (more often referred to as FOIA) provides any person the right
to request access to records maintained by the United States Mint. Currently, the United
States Mint offers these online resources:
The Freedom of Information Act established a presumption that records of the Executive
Branch of the United States government are accessible to the public. This was not always
the policy regarding federal information disclosure. Before the FOIA in 1966, the burden
was on the individual to establish a right to examine these government records.
With the passage of the FOIA, the burden of proof shifted from the individual to the
government. Those seeking information are no longer required to show a need for
information. Instead, the "need to know" standard has now been replaced by a
"right to know" standard. The government now has to justify its need for secrecy.
The FOIA sets standards for determining which records must be made available for public
inspection and which records can be withheld from disclosure. The law also provides
administrative and judicial remedies for those denied access to records. Above all,
the statute requires federal agencies to provide the fullest possible disclosure of
information to the public.
The United States Mint makes available a
FOIA Handbook
.
This document explains how the Mint complies with FOIA.
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