1. Basic Information Regarding Report:
A. Name, title address, and telephone number of person(s) to be
contacted with questions about the report:
Ronald M. Harris, Freedom of Information Act Officer
Federal Election Commission
999 E Street NW
Washington, DC 20463
202-694-1220
B. Electronic address for report on the World Wide Web:
http://www.fec.gov
C. How to obtain a copy of the report in paper form:
Contact the FEC Press Office at above address
II. How to make a FOIA request:
A FOIA request must be in writing, clearly marked "FOIA
Request," and addressed to the Freedom of Information Officer. Requests may be sent
by mail, facsimile (202-501-3283), or electronic means (rharris@fec.gov).
III. Definitions of terms and acronyms used in the report:
A. Agency-specific acronyms or other terms.
Federal Election
Commission (FEC or Commission)
B. Basic terms, expressed in common terminology:
- FOIA/PA request Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act request. A FOIA request is
generally a request for access to records concerning third party, an organization, or a
particular topic of interest. A Privacy Act request is a request for records concerning
oneself.
- Initial Request A request to a federal agency for access to records under the
Freedom of Information Act.
- Appeal A request to a federal agency asking that it review at a higher
administrative level a denial of access to records under the Freedom of Information Act,
or any other adverse FOIA determination such as a matter pertaining to fees.
- Processed request or appeal A request or appeal upon which an agency has taken a
final action in all respects.
- Multi-track processing A system in which simple requests requiring relatively
minimal review are placed in one processing track and more voluminous and complex requests
are placed in one or more other tracks. Requests in each track are processed on a
first-in/first-out basis. A requester who has an urgent need for records may request
expedited requester who has an urgent need for records may request expedited processing
(see below).
- Expedited processing An agency will process a FOIA request on an expedited basis
when a requester has shown an exceptional need or urgency for the records which warrants
prioritization of his or her request over other requests that were made earlier.
- Simple request A FOIA request that an agency using multi-track processing places
in its fastest (nonexpedited) track based on the volume and/or simplicity of records
requested.
- Complex request A FOIA request that an agency using multi-track processing places
in a slower track based on the volume and/or complexity of records requested.
- Grant(ed) An agency decision to disclose all records in full in response to a
FOIA request.
- Partial grant An agency decision to disclose a record in part in response to a
FOIA request, after deleting certain information determined to be exempt under one or more
of the FOIAs exemptions; or a decision to disclose some records in their entirety,
but to withhold others in whole or in part.
- Denial An agency decision not to release any part of a record or records in
response to a FOIA request because all information in the requested records is determined
by the agency to be exempt under one or more of the FOIAs exemptions, or for some
procedural reason (such as because no record is located in response to a FOIA request).
- Time limits the time period in the Freedom of Information Act for an agency to
respond to a FOIA request (ordinarily 20 working days from proper receipts of a
"perfected" FOIA request).
- Perfected request A FOIA request for records which adequately describes the
records sought, which has been received by the FOIA office of the agency or agency
component in possession of the records, and for which there is no remaining question about
the payment of applicable fees.
- Exemption 3 statute A separate federal statute which prohibits the disclosure of
a certain type of information. This information is exempt from FOIA disclosure by virtue
of 5 USC ยง552 (b)(3).
IV. Exemption 3 Statutes:
A. List of Exemption 3 statutes relied on agency during past fiscal
year:
None
Brief description of type(s) of information withheld under each
statute:
N/A
Statement of whether a court has upheld the use of each statute. If
so, cite example:
N/A
V. Initial FOIA/PA Access Requests:
A. Number of initial requests:
1. Number of
requests pending as of end of FY1999: 15
2. Number of
requests received during FY2000: 52
3. Number of
requests processed during FY2000: 37
4. Number of FY2000
requests pending as of end fiscal year: 30
B. Disposition of initial requests:
1. Total FOIA
requests granted: 9
2. Number of partial
grants: 1
3. Number of
denials: 27
C. Reasons for nondisclosure:
1. No responsive
records: 23
2. Not a proper FOIA
request: 4
VI. Appeals of Initial Denials of FOIA/PA requests:
1. Number of appeals
received during fiscal year: 0
2. Number of appeals
processed during fiscal year: 0
VII: Compliance with Time Limits/Status of Pending Requests:
A.Median processing time for requests processed during the year:
15 business days
B.Complex requests (specify for any and all tracks used):
1. Number of
requests processed: 37
2. Median number of
days to process: 15
C. Status of pending requests:
1. Number of FY2000
requests pending as of end of fiscal year: 15
2. Median number of
days that such requests were pending as of that date: 29
VIII. Costs/Fees:
1.Number of
full-time FOIA personnel -- 0
2.Number of
personnel with part-time or occasional FOIA duties -- (3 FTE at .25) = .75 FTE
3. Total number of
personnel (in work-years) .75
4. Costs (including
staff and all resources): FOIA processing $76,400
5.Litigation-related
activities (estimated) 0
6.Total amount of
fees collected by agency for processing requests -- $1,700
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