Published on Department of Commerce (http://www.commerce.gov)

Freedom of Information Act:

  1. Is information generated by a conference subject to the Freedom of Information Act?

    Yes.  Documents in the possession of your agency are subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).  That includes, but is not limited to, transcripts of presentations, handouts, and registration lists.  Generally, this information will be releasable under FOIA.  One exception might be home addresses or telephone numbers or other personal information submitted on registration material.  If you think that other information might be protected from disclosure, please consult with the General Law Division Officer of the Day at (202) 482-5391.

  2. Is it permissible to proactively release conference materials, for example on the agency website?

    If the information is releasable under FOIA, it can and should be proactively disclosed.
Source URL (retrieved on 05/22/2013 - 4:03am): http://www.commerce.gov/os/ogc/freedom-information-act