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Guidebook to the Freedom of Information and Privacy Acts

NCJ Number
121026
Editor(s)
J D Franklin, R F Bouchard
Date Published
1989
Length
879 pages
Annotation
This loose-leaf compendium contains material explaining the Federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Privacy Act and how to obtain information from the Federal government under the two statutes.
Abstract
The goals, purposes, and procedures of the two statutes are discussed and their differences in scope detailed. Chapters one and two of the compendium contain the full texts of the FOIA and the Privacy Act, along with section-by-section analyses that include interpretive court decisions. Chapter three provides practical guidance on using the two statutes, including sample forms and letters to use in making requests for information. Chapter four deals with business data requests and the legal status of lawsuits that would seek to bar the government from revealing business data information submitted to it. In addition, chapter four discusses the impact of the Copyright Act of 1976 on FOIA requests. Appendixes include the full text of each State's FOIA statute as well as a selected bibliography of law review articles and notes, citations to federal agency FOIA and Privacy Act regulations, and addresses of FOIA officers at federal agencies. The volume also includes an index.