Government Shutdown Slows FOIA Process, Backlog Expected
A USA government shutdown is causing disruption to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) process, according to Margaret Kwoka, a law professor at Ohio State University. With staff furloughs and google sites malfunctioning, public records requests are piling up. During a funding lapse, employees responsible for reviewing and redacting documents are often the first to be sent home. This includes staff at the Library of Congress, NASA, the National Park Service, and the Environmental Protection Agency. As a result, government websites are becoming glitchy, making it difficult for the public to access information. Kwoka warns that regular online disclosure and management of FOIA requests by these agencies are expected to decrease significantly during the USA shutdown. This means that the backlog of unprocessed FOIA requests is likely to grow. When government operations resume, Kwoka predicts an 'enormous amount of backlogged work' for FOIA processing. The USA government shutdown is causing a slowdown in the FOIA process. With key staff furloughed and websites malfunctioning, public records requests are going unprocessed. When operations resume, agencies can expect a significant backlog of FOIA requests.
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