On October 2, 1996, President Clinton signed into law the Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments of 1996 (the E-FOIA Amendments). Under subsection (a)(2) of the FOIA, agencies must make four distinct categories of records affirmatively available for "public inspection and copying." These "reading room" records consist of: (1) final opinions and orders rendered in the adjudication of administrative cases; (2) specific agency policy statements; (3) certain administrative staff manuals; and, (4) as of March 31, 1997*, records disclosed in response to a FOIA request that "the agency determines have become or are likely to become the subject of subsequent requests for substantially the same records." In addition, the E-FOIA Amendments provide for the accessibility of other records that the Commission determines may be of interest to the public.
- Agency Policy Statements
- Business and Consumer Guidance
- Chief FOIA Officer Report
- Citizen's Guide to FOIA
- FOIA Annual Reports
- FOIA Handbook [PDF]
- FTC FOIA Quarterly Reports
- Frequently Requested Records
- FTC Administrative Staff Manuals
- FTC FOIA Regulations 16 CFR 4.8, 4.9, 4.10 and 4.11
- FTC FOIA Regulations – Recent Amendments
- FTC Opinions and Orders
- FTC Rules (16 CFR 0-999)
- Hot Topics
- Merger & Acquisition Information
- Summary of Agency Chief FOIA Officer Reports for 2013
- Track Your FOIA Request
* Many public records created prior to 1997 are not on-line and may be available through our Consumer Response Center. Requests for public material should be made to:
Consumer Response Center ("CRC")
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20580
Telephone number: (202) 326-2222