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Welcome to USDA Freedom of Information Act(FOIA) Website The FOIA is found in Title 5 of the United States Code, Section 552. FOIA was enacted in 1966 and gives any person the right to request access to almost any federal agency record, except those protected from disclosure by legal exemptions and exclusions (e.g., classified national security, business proprietary, personal privacy, and investigative documents.) How to Submit a FOIA Request 1. Send a written request for the records directly to the USDA component responsible for the records sought.
2. Describe the requested records clearly. 3. Consider including time frames, names of authors and recipients, and subject matter in the description of the records requested. 4. State your willingness to pay the fees associated with processing the request or seek a fee waiver. 5. If you seek a fee waiver, address specifically the criteria articulated in Section 6 6. If you do not know and cannot determine which USDA component is responsible for the records you seek, you may address your request to the USDA FOIA Officer. Please know that failure to send your request to the responsible agency results in delay in proper receipt and processing of your request. 
Reading Room USDA maintains only an electronic reading room. If you need to use the USDA electronic reading room, you may make arrangements by contacting the USDA FOIA Officer at 202-720-8164.
How to submit a FOIA Request to OCFO Submit a written FOIA request to one of the contacts listed under FOIA Contact Information. Mark the request and envelope or fax cover sheet “FOIA Request.” Provide your phone number, mailing address, e-mail address, or fax number so we can contact you if we need more information or we can send you the released documents. In making your request, identify the documents as specifically as possible to help us locate them. Any details you can provide about the subject of the documents, the office that maintains the information, location of the documents, date the documents were probably created, and contract or purchase order numbers, if applicable, will be helpful. Fee: The FOIA permits government agencies to charge requesters fees to recover the direct costs of providing information to a requester. Therefore, specify the fee category in which you feel your request falls and the amount you are willing to pay. The FOIA divides requesters into four categories: 1. Commercial requesters, who may be charged fees for searching
for documents, reviewing the documents, No charge will be made if the cost if $25 or less. We will notify you before searching for the requested documents when the estimated fee is more than $25 or the amount specified in your request. In cases where no documents are located, the agency is entitled to charge the requester for any applicable search time involved. Under the Privacy Act, you can be charged only for the cost of copying records for you, not for time spent locating them. Fee waivers may be granted when disclosure of the documents is in the public interest and is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations or activities of the Government and is not primarily in the commercial interest of the requester. You may request a waiver of fees, but your request must be fully documented and justified by a written explanation. Time Limits: We are required to respond to a FOIA request within 20 business days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays. We will respond to requests for information under the Privacy Act (PA) within 20 business days. If there is a delay in fulfilling your request within the time limit, we will notify you in writing about the delay. Our response might include all the materials you requested, a portion of your request with a listing of reasons why we withheld information, or a denial of all information. If denied, we will inform you of your appeal rights. Privacy Act: Under the Privacy Act, a person may seek access to records that are retrieved by that person’s name or another personal identifier, such as social security number or date of birth. These records will be made available unless they fall within the exemptions of the Privacy Act or the FOIA. Generally, you cannot obtain copies of records concerning another person without the written permission of that person. If you or the person for whom you are seeking information is or was not an employee of OCFO Headquarters or NFC, you will need to request the information from the employee’s employing agency. See Agency FOIA Contacts for USDA agencies and Other Agencies’ FOIA Contacts and Web Sites for non-USDA agencies and organizations.
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