Sec. 3. Pilot program
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/bill/113/hr/1211/eh/section-3A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
The Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall establish a pilot program for 3 years to review the benefits of a centralized portal to process requests and release information under section 552 of title 5, United States Code (commonly known as the Freedom of Information Act). Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall establish a plan to evaluate the functionality and benefits of a centralized portal to receive and track requests made under section 552 of title 5, United States Code, by selecting no less than 3 agencies that have not previously participated in a centralized portal, including at least one of the following:
An agency that receives more than 30,000 requests annually for information under section 552 of title 5, United States Code. An agency that receives between 15,000 and 30,000 requests annually for information under such section. An agency that receives 15,000 or fewer requests annually for information under such section. Each agency selected under subsection
(b)shall use the centralized portal to— receive requests under section 552 of title 5, United States Code; consult with and refer requests to participating agencies; if practicable, process requests received under such section; track the status of requests submitted under such section; and make records released available publicly through the centralized portal. The Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall, in consultation with the Attorney General, the Office of Government Information Services, and the head of each agency participating in the pilot program, review the benefits of a centralized portal, including— any cost saving, resource saving, or efficiency gained; any change in the amount of requests received under section 552 of title 5, United States Code; any increase in transparency and accessibility to Government information; and any changes in the ability to access and compile information needed for agency annual reports required under section 552 of title 5, United States Code. Not later than 3 months after the completion of the pilot program, the head of each agency participating in the program— shall submit to Congress a report on the impact of the pilot program on agency processes under section 552 of title 5, United States Code, whether the agency will continue to participate in the centralized portal, and any recommendations the head of the agency considers appropriate; and shall make such report available in an electronic, publicly accessible format. In this section: The term agency has the meaning given such term in section 552(f) of title 5, United States Code. The term centralized portal means an electronic online portal that allows a requester to submit a request under section 552 of title 5, United States Code, to any participating agency, to track the status of a request, and to obtain a response to a request made through the portal.