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HighRoadNow > State Best Practices > Democratic Accountability > Freedom of Information > Strategy




	Strategy FOIA Legislative History


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FOIA Background

Background

The federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) was passed in 1966, allowing public access to records and documents created by federal agencies. Since the enactment of the federal FOIA, all fifty states have realized the importance of public access.

In referring to the federal Freedom of Information Act, the Supreme Court of the United States held:

“The basic purpose of FOIA is to ensure an informed citizenry, vital to the functioning of a democratic society, needed to check against corruption and to hold the governors accountable to the governed.”
NLRB v. Robbins Tire Co., 437 U.S. 214, 242 (1978).

Scandals generated by concealment of government meetings are often the impetus needed for the enactment of public access laws. For example, the current Enron situation shows the public’s desire for openness and the need for government accountability: despite frequent requests by public agencies, the Administration refuses to divulge information obtained in secret meetings with Enron.