Questions |
If you are familiar with the FOIA process and you are
ready to submit a request, click here.
- What is the FOIA?
- Who can file a FOIA request?
- Who is subject to the FOIA and what type of
information can be requested?
- What is a record?
- Can we ask questions under the FOIA?
- If I am an employee, do I make a FOIA request, or do
I request information under the Privacy Act?
- How do I file a FOIA request?
- Do I have to pay for a FOIA request?
- What are the reasons for not releasing a record?
- How long will it take for my request to be
processed?
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Answers |
1. Answer: The FOIA is a Federal law that establishes the public's
right to request existing records from Federal government
agencies. |
Any "person" can file a FOIA request, including U.S.
citizens, foreign nationals, organizations, universities,
businesses, and state and local governments. |
3. Answer: The FOIA's scope includes Federal Executive Branch
Departments, agencies, and offices; Federal regulatory
agencies, and Federal corporations. Congress, the Federal
Courts, and parts of the Executive office of the President
are not subject to the FOIA. State and local governments are
likewise not subject to the Federal FOIA, but some states
have their own equivalent access laws for state records. At
the Office of the Secretary of Defense/Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff level, you may expect to find policy,
planning and budgetary information for the DoD. |
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Label your request "Freedom of Information Act Request,"
preferably within the request letter and on the envelope,
and address the request to the following address: Defense Contract Management Agency, Attention FOIA Officer, Building 10500, 3901 A Avenue, Fort Lee, VA 23801; or by email dcma.foia@DCMA.MIL Your letter should include your name, address, telephone
number, and a statement of the records being sought,
identified as specifically as possible. A request of
specific information that is releasable to the public can be
processed much more quickly than a request for "all
information" on a particular subject. Generally, a record is
reasonably described when the description contains
sufficient file-related information (type of document,
title, subject area, date of creation, originator, etc.); or
the request contains enough event-related information (date
and circumstances surrounding the event the record covers)
to permit the conduct of an organized, non-random search. A
more specific and limited request will cost less for search,
review and duplication fees. State your willingness to pay applicable fees. |
- the subject of the request
- the informative value of the information to be
disclosed
- the contribution to an understanding of the subject
by the general public likely to result from the
disclosure
- the significance of the contribution to public
understanding
- disclosure of the information is not primarily in
the commercial interest of the requester
- the ability of the requester to disseminate the
information
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There are seven reasons why an agency may not release a
record when a request for the record is made under the FOIA.
They are:
1. The request is transferred to another DoD Component or
Federal agency.
2. The agency determines through knowledge of its files
and reasonable search efforts that it neither controls or
otherwise possesses the requested record.
3. A record has not been described with sufficient detail
to enable the agency to locate it by conducting a reasonable
search.
4. The requester has failed unreasonably to comply with
procedural requirements, including payment of fees, imposed
by this Regulation or DoD Component supplementing
regulations.
5. The request is withdrawn by the requester.
6. The information requested is not a record within the
meaning of the FOIA and the DoD Regulation.
7. The record is denied in whole or part in accordance
with procedures set forth in the FOIA and the DoD Regulation |
In fairness to all requesters, requests are processed in
order by date of receipt and according to their complexity.
Whenever possible, an initial determination to release or
deny a record is made within 20 working days after receipt
of the request by the official who is designated to respond.
E-mail FOIA requests to DCMA.FOIA@dcma.mil
Prior to submitting your request, please ensure the
following requirements are met:
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