Commentary FOIA In 2025: Beat the Backlog and Avoid Lawsuits The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) stands at a critical juncture heading into 2025. Federal agencies are grappling with mounting ...

The congressional watchdog, tasked by a bicameral, bipartisan group of lawmakers to investigate FOIA response delays, found that the backlog jumped from 14% in 2013 to 22% in 2022, with the growing ...

Sparse staffing, coupled with rising litigation and requests becoming more complex, have led to the FOIA backlog growing year after year. GAO’s report noted FOIA is “a critical tool” for the ...

In FY 2022, there were 206,720 backlogged FOIA requests. While FY 2023 saw a slight drop in backlogs to 200,843, the backlog surged again in the third quarter of FY 2024, reaching 222,328.

In FY 2022, the government-wide FOIA backlog surpassed 200,000 requests for the first time. A Government Accountability ...

As of the end of the second quarter of Fiscal Year 2024, BLM’s FOIA backlog is 1,598 requests — more than one-third the total backlog of all 14 Interior agencies combined. It raises suspicion ...

HHS reported a 24.5% FOIA backlog, blaming a wave of politically charged requests, staff losses, hiring freezes, and mounting lawsuits. The departments of Veterans Affairs, Energy, and Labor have ...

A recent Tax Notes investigation explored flaws practitioners have identified in the IRS's FOIA disclosure and appeals systems, which have led to taxpayer frustration and a growing backlog.

Fewer FOIA professionals are processing more complex requests, the report noted, even as the federal backlog of open petitions already exceeds 200,000. And these already overburdened offices are ...