The FTC would take the hit on Freedom of Information...
The FTC would take the hit on Freedom of Information Act request fees when it doesn’t give requesters a “timely” response, the agency said in proposed amendments to its fee rule and accompanying fee schedule for FOIA requests. In a…
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Federal Register notice seeking comment on the proposed changes (http://1.usa.gov/138e4dU), the agency said it proposes to prohibit “certain fees” when its responses aren’t timely; clarify how duplication fees are determined; waive fees if the “total chargeable amount” is under $25; update fees for microfiche and photocopying; add new categories for information on DVDs, CDs and videotapes; increase Express Mail delivery fees to reflect “actual agency costs” and fees for providing formal certification services; add “descriptive information” about FOIA requesters’ categories; clarify certain public materials are free; and update information on how the FTC can collect FOIA-related debts. Comments are due March 29 (http://bit.ly/YpEGiR). The agency also said Thursday it issued a final rule updating its FOIA contact information and addressing other FOIA-related “technical amendments” (http://1.usa.gov/13obGeG), implementing the Open Government Act to “more accurately reflect new FOIA services” it provides and make the process “more transparent to the public,” the FTC said in a release Thursday (http://1.usa.gov/WVgXd8). Public workshop transcripts and materials will now be part of the public record, the agency said.