Source: https://development.code.dccouncil.us/dc/council/code/titles/2/chapters/5/subchapters/II/
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 04:43:20+00:00

Document:
D.C. Law Library - Subchapter II. Freedom of Information.
Subchapter II. Freedom of Information.
§ 2–536. Information which must be made public.
§ 2–538. Oversight of disclosure activities.
This section is referenced in § 1-309.10, § 2-354.17, § 2-1208.04, § 7-2271.05, § 28-4505, § 31-5031.17, § 38-1802.14, § 47-391.08, and § 48-853.05.
D.C. Law 13-283, in the first sentence, substituted “The” for “Generally, the”.
Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Authority, application of Freedom of Information Act to members and activities of authority, see § 47-391.08.
Restraints of trade, civil investigative demand, exemption from provisions of Freedom of Information Act, see § 28-4505.
Free Flow of Information Act of 1992: See §§ 16-4701 to 16-4704.
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Committee, see Mayor’s Order 2001-30, February 27, 2001 ( 48 DCR 2380).
Access to Email Traffic of District Government Employees, see Mayor’s Order 2003-164, November 21, 2003 ( 50 DCR 10604).
Designation of Freedom of Information (FOIA) Officer in Each Subordinate Agency, Attendance at FOIA Committee Training, Listing of Subordinate Agency FOIA Officers on Agency Website and Agency Assistance with FOIA Requests, see Mayor’s Order 2004-106, June 29, 2004 ( 51 DCR 7138).
Delegation of authority under D.C. Law 1-96, the “Freedom of Information Act of 1976.”, see Mayor’s Order 91-36, March 7, 1991.
D.C. Law 13-283, in subsec. (a), substituted “a public body” for “the Mayor or an agency”; and, in subsec. (b), substituted “Each public body” for “The Mayor and each agency of the District of Columbia”.
(c) For the purposes of this section “absentee real property owners” means owners of real property located in the District that do not reside at the real property.
This section is referenced in § 1-610.64 and § 8-151.08.
D.C. Law 15-205 added pars. (6A) and (8A) to subsec. (a).
D.C. Law 15-534, in subsec. (a), validated a previously made technical correction.
D.C. Law 16-91, in par. (6A) of subsec. (a), validated a previously made technical correction.
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 1222 of Fiscal Year 2005 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2004 (D.C. Act 15-486, August 2, 2004, 51 DCR 8236).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 1222 of Fiscal Year 2005 Budget Support Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2004 (D.C. Act 15-594, October 26, 2004, 51 DCR 11725).
Short title of subtitle U of title I of Law 15-205: Section 1221 of D.C. Law 15-205 provided that subtitle U of title I of the act may be cited as Freedom of Information Amendment Act of 2004.
(a) Except as provided in subsections (a-1) and (a-2) of this section, any person denied the right to inspect a public record of a public body may petition the Mayor to review the public record to determine whether it may be withheld from public inspection. Such determination shall be made in writing with a statement of reasons therefor in writing within 10 days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays) of the submission of the petition.
(1) If the Mayor denies the petition or does not make a determination within the time limits provided in this subsection, or if a person is deemed to have exhausted his or her administrative remedies pursuant to subsection (e) of § 2-532, the person seeking disclosure may institute proceedings for injunctive or declaratory relief in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia.
(2) If the Mayor decides that the public record may not be withheld, he shall order the public body to disclose the record immediately. If the public body continues to withhold the record, the person seeking disclosure may bring suit in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia to enjoin the public body from withholding the record and to compel the production of the requested record.
(a-1) Any person denied the right to inspect a public record in the possession of the Council may institute proceedings in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia for injunctive or declaratory relief, or for an order to enjoin the public body from withholding the record and to compel the production of the requested record.
(a-2) Any person denied the right to inspect a public record in the possession of the Attorney General may institute proceedings in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for injunctive or declaratory relief, or for an order to enjoin the public body from withholding the record and to compel the production of the requested record.
(b) In any suit filed under subsection (a), (a-1), or (a-2) of this section, the Superior Court for the District of Columbia may enjoin the public body from withholding records and order the production of any records improperly withheld from the person seeking disclosure. The burden is on the public agency to sustain its action. In such cases the court shall determine the matter de novo, and may examine the contents of such records in camera to determine whether such records or any part thereof shall be withheld under any of the exemptions set forth in § 2-534.
(c) If a person seeking the right to inspect or to receive a copy of a public record prevails in whole or in part in such suit, he or she may be awarded reasonable attorney fees and other costs of litigation.
(d) Any person who commits an arbitrary or capricious violation of the provisions of this subchapter shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $100.00. A prosecution under this section may only be commenced by the issuance of a citation, which shall be personally served upon the defendant. The defendant shall not be arrested prior to the time of trial, except that a defendant who fails to appear for arraignment or trial may be arrested pursuant to a bench warrant and required to post a bond to secure his or her future appearance.
(e) All employees of the District government are responsible for compliance with the provisions of this subchapter, and this requirement shall be incorporated in section 1803 of Title 6 of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations.
This section is referenced in § 2-532, § 2-533, and § 2-538.
D.C. Law 13-283, in subsec. (b), substituted “public body” for “Mayor or the agency”; and added subsecs. (d) and (e).
D.C. Law 14-42, in subsec. (e), substituted “ section 1803 of Title 6 of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations” for “section 1803 of the District of Columbia Personnel Regulations”.
D.C. Law 15-105, in subsec. (a), validated previously made technical corrections.
D.C. Law 15-256, in subsec. (a), substituted “Except as provided in subsection (a-1), any person” for “Any person”; added subsec. (a-1); and, in subsec. (b), substituted “subsection (a) or (a-1)” for “subsection (a)”.
The 2015 amendment by D.C. Law 21-36 substituted “subsections (a-1) and (a-2)” for “subsection (a-1)” in (a); added (a-2); and substituted “subsection (a), (a-1), or (a-2)” for “subsection (a) or (a-1)” in (b).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 3(a) of Technical Amendments Emergency Act of 2001 (D.C. Act 14-108, August 3, 2001, 48 DCR 7622).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see §§ 2(b) and 3 of Freedom of Information Legislative Records Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2003 (D.C. Act 15-190, October 24, 2003, 50 DCR 9499).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 2(b) of Freedom of Information Legislative Records Clarification Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2004 (D.C. Act 15-372, February 19, 2004, 51 DCR 2611).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 2(c) of Freedom of Information Legislative Records Clarification Emergency Amendment Act of 2004 (D.C. Act 15-591, November 1, 2004, 51 DCR 10729).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 2(c) of Freedom of Information Legislative Records Clarification Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2005 (D.C. Act 16-23, February 17, 2005, 52 DCR 2975).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 1062 of the Fiscal Year 2016 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2015 (D.C. Act 21-127, July 27, 2015, 62 DCR 10201).
For temporary (225 day) amendment of section, see § 2(b) of the Freedom of Information Legislative Records Clarification Temporary Amendment Act of 2003 (D.C. Law 15-83, March 10, 2004, law notification 51 DCR 3375).
Delegation of Authority—Office of the Secretary, see Mayor’s Order 97-87, May 6, 1997 ( 44 DCR 2958).
Delegation of Authority to Review and Determine Administrative Petitions or Appeals filed under the Freedom of Information Act, see Mayor’s Order 2004-205, December 29, 2004 ( 52 DCR 87).
Delegation of Authority to Review and Determine Administrative Petitions or Appeals Filed Under the Freedom of Information Act, see Mayor’s Order 2005-98, June 14, 2005 ( 52 DCR 8164).
Delegation of Authority to Review and Determine Administrative Petitions or Appeals Filed Under the Freedom of Information Act, see Mayor’s Order 2005-190, December 2, 2005 ( 53 DCR 694).
Delegation of authority to Review and Determine Administrative Petitions or Appeals Filed Under the Freedom of Information Act, see Mayor’s Order 2007-62, March 6, 2007 ( 54 DCR 7788).
Redelegation of Authority Under D.C. Law 1-96, the Freedom of Information Act of 1976; Rescission of Mayor’s Order 87-6: See Mayor’s Order 89-188, August 30, 1989.
(9) A qualitative description or summary statement, and conclusions drawn from the data regarding compliance with this subchapter.
(b) The Mayor shall make these reports available to the public on the Internet or by other electronic means.
(c) The Corporation Counsel shall submit an annual report on or before February 1 of each calendar year, which shall include for the prior fiscal year, a listing of the number of cases arising under this section, the exemption involved in each case, the disposition of the case, and the costs assessed pursuant to § 2-537(c).
(d) Each public body subject to the provisions of this subchapter shall designate a Freedom of Information Officer. As of November 1, 2001, the Mayor shall provide to these officers on their appointment a minimum of 8 hours of training regarding implementation and compliance with this subchapter.
(e) A public body may seek an advisory opinion from the Office of Open Government regarding compliance with this subchapter.
D.C. Law 14-42, in subsec. (a), substituted “preceding fiscal year” for “proceeding fiscal year”.
D.C. Law 16-191 substituted “15” for “10”; substituted “between 16 and 25 days” for “between 11 and 20 days”; and substituted “26 days” for “21 days”.
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 1084(a) of Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Support Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2018 (D.C. Act 22-458, Oct. 3, 2018, 65 DCR 11212).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 1084(a) of Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2018 (D.C. Act 22-434, July 30, 2018, 65 DCR 8200).
For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 3(b) of Technical Amendments Emergency Act of 2001 (D.C. Act 14-108, August 3, 2001, 48 DCR 7622).
(1) “Critical infrastructure” means existing and proposed infrastructure systems and assets, whether physical or virtual, so vital to the District of Columbia or the United States that the incapacity or destruction of the infrastructure system or asset could jeopardize the physical security, economic security, health, safety, or welfare of the public.
This section is referenced in § 4-1301.52.
The 2015 amendment by D.C. Law 20-160 designated the existing provisions as (a) and rewrote (a); and added (b).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(b) of the Critical Infrastructure Freedom of Information Emergency Amendment Act of 2013 (D.C. Act 20-229, November 29, 2013, 60 DCR 16788, 20 DCSTAT 2630).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(b) of the Critical Infrastructure Freedom of Information Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2014 (D.C. Act 20-285, February 20, 2014, 61 DCR 1603).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(b) of the Critical Infrastructure Freedom of Information Second Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2014 (D.C. Act 20-459, Oct. 24, 2014, 61 DCR 11374, 20 STAT 4364).
For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(b) of the Critical Infrastructure Freedom of Information Third Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2014 (D.C. Act 20-580, Jan. 13, 2015, 62 DCR 1264, 21 STAT 730).
For temporary (225 days) amendment of this section, see § 2(b) of the Critical Infrastructure Freedom of Information Temporary Amendment Act of 2013 (D.C. Law 20-71, February 22, 2014, 61 DCR 27).
This subchapter may be cited as the “Freedom of Information Act of 1976”.

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