IIB 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1615 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
JULY 7, 2015 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
AN ACT 
To direct the Chief FOIA Officer of the Department of 
Homeland Security to make certain improvements in the 
implementation of section 552 of title 5, United States 
Code (commonly known as the Freedom of Information 
Act), and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘DHS FOIA Efficiency 
Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY FREEDOM 
OF INFORMATION ACT IMPLEMENTATION. 
(a) DEADLINE FOR UPDATING REGULATIONS.—Not 
later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Chief FOIA Officer of the Department of Home-
land Security, as appointed pursuant to section 552(j) of 
title 5, United States Code, shall finalize and issue an up-
dated regulation implementing section 552 of title 5, 
United States Code (commonly known as the Freedom of 
Information Act), which shall include— 
(1) public guidance on procedures to be fol-
lowed when making requests under paragraph (1), 
(2), or (3) of section 552(a) of title 5, United States 
Code; 
(2) updated guidance to the components of the 
Department responsible for processing such re-
quests, which may include information on how to 
adopt automated processing of requests made under 
paragraphs (1), (2), or (3) of section 552(a) of title 
5, United States Code; 
(3) detailed information on fees and costs asso-
ciated with such requests; and 
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(4) detailed information on the appeals process 
for such requests. 
(b) IDENTIFICATION OF COSTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Chief 
FOIA Officer, in coordination with the Chief Finan-
cial Officer of the Department and the heads of each 
of the relevant components of the Department, shall 
identify the total annual cost to the Department of 
implementing section 552 of title 5, United States 
Code. 
(2) GUIDANCE.—The Chief FOIA Officer shall 
develop guidance on reporting standards related to 
the direct and indirect costs to the Department asso-
ciated with the processing of requests made under 
paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of section 552(a) of 
title 5, United States Code. 
(c) COST SAVINGS.—The Chief FOIA Officer, in col-
laboration with the heads of each of the relevant compo-
nents of the Department, shall— 
(1) identify unnecessary and duplicative actions 
taken by the Department in the course of processing 
requests made under paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of 
section 552(a) of title 5, United States Code, by not 
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later than 120 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act; and 
(2) eliminate unnecessary and duplicative ac-
tions taken by the Department in the course of proc-
essing requests made under paragraphs (1), (2), and 
(3) of section 552(a) of title 5, United States Code, 
by not later than 12 months after the identification 
of such action under paragraph (1). 
(d) FOIA TRACKING SYSTEMS.—Not later than 90 
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Chief 
FOIA Officer shall develop a plan to automate the proc-
essing of requests made under paragraphs (1), (2), and 
(3) of section 552(a) of title 5, United States Code to the 
Department. Such plan shall take into account the specific 
needs of each of the components of the Department re-
sponsible for processing such requests and address re-
quired and recommended technology capabilities and ele-
ments. Such plan shall include an assessment of the costs 
and benefits associated with establishing and using elec-
tronic processing systems to process requests made under 
paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of section 552(a) of title 5, 
United States Code. 
(e) FOIA BACKLOG.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Chief Privacy 
Officer of the Department, in consultation with the Chief 
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