Federal Information Request

Many government records are public documents – but you have to know how to ask for them.

Iowa's Open Records Law, enacted in 1967, outlines which documents are public in Iowa. The Iowa Freedom of Information Council website http://www.drakejournalism.com/newsite_ifoic/omorh/omorh.htm, has links to open records and open meetings laws.

The U.S. Department of Justice provides this information the federal Freedom of Information Act: http://www.foia.gov/

This template for a federal information request is a good place to start.

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Freedom of Information Officer

Name of agency

Address

To the Freedom of Information Officer:

This is a request for copies of public records under the federal Freedom of Information Act, Title 5, USC 552.

Please send me all documents, reports, letters, correspondence, internal memoranda and other materials pertaining to (insert description of record or topics).

As you know, the amended Act requires that your agency make a determination as to whether it will comply with this request within 20 working days of this written request.

If you determine you will comply with this request, we would ask that you promptly forward the records requested.

If you determine that portions of the requested records are exempt from release, I will expect, as the Act requires under 552(b), that you delete the material that you believe is exempt and send me copies of the remaining, non-exempt material within the same time period.

Also, if all or any part of my request is denied, please list the specific exemptions under the Act on which you rely to withhold the records. Please provide me with the name and address of the official to whom I can appeal and a copy of all rules, regulations or forms I must follow or use to appeal.

I am prepared to pay reasonable, standard charges for document duplication.

I look forward to hearing from you. If you have any questions or need to communicate with me, I would greatly appreciate your calling me during office hours at (insert phone number).

Furthermore, if there is something unclear about my request, or if you find that it may be unduly burdensome, I would ask that you give me a call so that I may clarify the request or reduce it to manageable proportions.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Your name