Restore Open Government Act of 2005

Bill: 109-hr-2331
Sponsor: Rep. Waxman, Henry A. [D-CA-30]
Introduced: 2005-05-12 in the House
Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
Subjects: Administrative fees
Administrative procedure
Administrative remedies
Armed Forces and National Security
Business records
Citizen lawsuits
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Commerce
Confidential communications
Congress
Congressional investigations
Congressional reporting requirements
Cost accounting
Crime and Law Enforcement
Department of Homeland Security
Economics and Public Finance
Employee training
Executive orders
Federal advisory bodies
Federal employees
Freedom of information
Government and business
Government contractors
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Government statistics
Governmental investigations
Infrastructure
Infrastructure (Economics)
Labor and Employment
Law
Legal fees
Local laws
National Archives and Records Administration
Presidential records
Public records
Security classification (Government documents)
Standards
State laws
Sunset legislation
Terrorism

Summary:
action_date: 2005-05-12
text: 
Restore Open Government Act of 2005 - Revokes the &quot;Memorandum for Heads of all Federal Departments and Agencies on The Freedom of Information Act&quot; and &quot;Memorandum for the Heads of Executive Department and Agencies on Action to Safeguard Information Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction and Other Sensitive Documents Related to Homeland Security.&quot;
 
Directs the Archivist of the United States to: (1) report on the use of psuedo-classification designations; and (2) promulgate regulations banning unnecessary psuedo-classification designations. Provides for standards for information control designations related to the classification of national security information, if needed.
 
Revokes specified executive orders limiting access to presidential records.
 
Requires publishing the names of Presidential interagency advisory committee members. Requires public disclosure of non-governmental committee contacts.
 
Permits the Archivist to charge an agency a specified fee to cover costs required for activities of the Public Interest Declassification Board, if funds appropriated for the Board are insufficient.
 
 Restricts the availability of a record under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) pertaining to the vulnerability of and threats to critical infrastructure that is furnished voluntarily to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
 
Amends the FOIA concerning additional matters to be included in agency reports to the Attorney General. Prohibits aggregating public information requests with information on individuals in reports.
 
Amends the FOIA to permit assessing the United States reasonable attorney fees and other litigation costs reasonably incurred in any case seeking information under any other Federal law in which the complainant has substantially prevailed.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2005-05-12
text: Referred to the Committee on Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2005-05-12
text: Referred to the Committee on Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2005-05-12
text: Referred to the Committee on Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2005-05-12
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2005-05-12
text: Introduced in House