The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. Section 552, is a statute that provides a process by which every person may request access to federal agency records or information. Federal agencies, such as the Naval Postgraduate School, are required to disclose records upon receiving a written request for them unless those records are protected from disclosure by any of the nine exemptions and three exclusions of the FOIA. The FOIA applies only to federal agencies and the records in its custody. The FOIA does not create an access to records held by Congress, the courts or by state and local governments. Any requests for state or local government records should be directed to the appropriate state or local government agency.
FOIA Highlights
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a federal statute. FOIA generally provides that any person has a right to request access to federal agency records, except to the extent the records are protected from disclosure by any of nine exemptions contained in the law or by one of three special law enforcement record exclusions. There are several points to keep in mind regarding the FOIA.
• Your request must be made in writing and you must provide a "reasonable description" of the records you are seeking.
• Agencies have 20 working days to provide an initial response.
• Agencies and requesters are encouraged to work together to define the scope of the request and the timing of the response.
• Agencies may establish "multi-track" response systems to facilitate the processing of simpler requests, rather than putting all requests in a single "queue."
Making a FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) Request
• FOIA requests must be made in writing. There are no special forms needed for making a request.
• You can submit your request by mail or fax.
Fax - (831)656-3657
Address– Information & Privacy Coordinator
Naval Support Activity Monterey, ATTN: Staff Judge Advocate (006)
1273 Stone Rd
Monterey, CA. 93943-5001
Re: Freedom of Information Act Request
• Describe the records you are seeking as clearly and precisely as you can. If your request is vague or too broad, we may ask you to be more specific, and this can delay the processing of your request.
• State your willingness to pay the applicable fees or provide a justification to support a fee waiver.
Naval Postgraduate School FOIA Electronic Reading Room - Link
Additional Information
The following links provide helpful and detailed information on the Freedom of Information Act:
Navy FOIA
DoD Freedom of Information Act Handbook
DOJ's FOIA Guide, May 2004
DoD Freedom of Information Act Program