Government agencies across the country are adopting policies suspending access to public records while the coronavirus outbreak looms as a top priority in the federal government and statehouses.
A report from the Congressional Research Service found changes are being made in federal agencies when it comes to the way they can process and release government information during the pandemic.
The report said federal information requests were affected in two ways by COVID-19: possible delays or changes in locating information due to employees working remotely or on administrative leave and the ability to expedite requests that relate to the outbreak.
During the pandemic, the FBI announced it would only accept mailed Freedom of Information Act requests and reject any electronically requested ones. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it would not respond to mailed FOIA requests and all requests should be made electronically.
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A compilation by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press highlights the current status of how federal agencies are handling records requests at this time.
The majority of government agencies reported there might be significant delays in responses, while the State Department announced it would be suspending requests completely during the pandemic.
In New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy recently signed legislation that eliminates deadlines for municipalities, school districts, and public authorities to respond to records requests. The time frame set by state law was a seven-day limit for response.
In late March, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee suspended parts of the state’s public records and open meetings laws for 30 days in response to the coronavirus outbreak, according to the Tacoma News Tribune.
NPR reports Rhode Island, Indiana, and Hawaii have also rolled back or suspended public records, as well as Philadelphia.
The suspensions and delays have been met with pushback by some transparency advocates and journalists who argue it’s important to hold the government accountable, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
