FOMC FOIA Annual Report - Data Definitions

Component/Office – For agencies that process requests on a decentralized basis, a "component" is an entity, also sometimes referred to as an Office, Division, Bureau, Center, or Directorate, within the agency that processes FOIA requests. The FOIA now requires that agencies include in their Annual FOIA Report data for both the agency overall and for each principal component of the agency

Request Number – the tracking number assigned to each FOIA request

Is This A Consultation? (Y/N) – procedure whereby the agency responding to a FOIA request first forwards a record to another agency for its review because that other agency has an interest in the document. Once the agency in receipt of the consultation finishes its review of the record, it responds back to the agency that forwarded it. That agency, in turn, will then respond to the FOIA requester

Days Allowed – the statutory time limit within which an agency has to process a request

Statute Citation(s) – citations to federal law, such as the Freedom of Information Act or FRB regulations, in the agency's response to the requester

Type(s) of Information Withheld – description of the kinds of information that was not disclosed to the requester

Case Citation(s) – citations to case law in the agency's response to the requester

Date Initially Received – the date on which the agency's FOI Office received the request from the requester

Date Perfected – the date on which a request for records reasonably describes such records and is made in accordance with published rules stating the time, place, fees (if any) and procedures to be followed

Date Completed – the date on which the agency response was provided to the requester

Days Tolled – the number of days that the agency stopped processing the request to either obtain information from the requester or clarify fee–related issues with the requester

Track – system in which simple requests requiring relatively minimal review are placed in one processing track; more voluminous and complex requests are placed in another track; and requests granted expedited processing are placed in another track

Disposition Reason – agency's basis for closing a request when the agency did not actually process any records for disclosure or make a determination on exemptions

Disposition "Other" Reason – agency's basis for closing a request other than the eleven categories of dispositions DOJ describes in the reason category

Exemption(s) Applied – which of FOIA's nine statutory exemptions were used to withhold information from release

Appeal Date Received – the date on which the agency's FOI Office received the appeal from the requester

Appeal Date Closed – the date on which the agency's response to the appeal was provided to the requester

Appeal Disposition – agency decision to affirm, remand, or reverse the initial request determination

Reason(s) for Denial on Appeal – agency's basis on appeal for closing a request when the agency did not actually process any records for disclosure or make a determination on exemptions

Appeal "Other" Reason(s) – agency's basis on appeal for closing a request when the agency neither affirms nor reverses or remands the initial request determination

Exemption(s) Applied – which of FOIA's nine statutory exemptions were used to withhold information from release on appeal

Expedited Date Received – the date on which the agency received a request for expedited processing

Expedited Date of Determination – the date on which the agency decided to grant or deny a request for expedited processing

Expedited Number of Days to Adjudicate – number of days the agency took to adjudicate a request for expedited processing

Expedited Granted / Denied – agency decision to grant or deny a request for expedited processing

Fee Waiver Date Adjudication Began – the date on which the agency started to decide whether to grant or deny a request for a fee waiver

Fee Waiver Date Adjudication Completed – the date on which the agency decided to grant or deny a request for a fee waiver

Fee Waiver Number of Days to Adjudicate – number of days the agency took to adjudicate a request for a fee waiver

Fee Waiver Granted / Denied – agency decision to grant or deny a request for fee waiver

Amount of Fees Collected – the amount of processing costs that the agency waives

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Last Update: January 29, 2020