Legal Definitions - foiable

The term FOIA stands for the Freedom of Information Act. This is a federal law in the United States that grants the public the right to request access to records from any federal agency. It is often described as the law that keeps citizens in the know about their government.

Foiable (pronounced FOY-uh-bull) is an adjective used to describe documents or information that are subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). In essence, if a document is "foiable," it means that a federal agency must release it to the public upon request, unless a specific exemption under FOIA applies.

Here are some examples to illustrate what it means for a document to be foiable:

• Example 1: Government Contract Details

  Imagine a local community group wants to understand the specifics of a large contract awarded by a federal agency for a new infrastructure project in their town. They suspect the contract terms might not be favorable to taxpayers. The detailed financial breakdowns, performance metrics, and communication logs related to the bidding and awarding of this contract, held by the federal agency, would generally be considered foiable. This means the community group could submit a FOIA request to obtain these documents, allowing them to scrutinize how their tax dollars are being spent, unless a specific exemption (like trade secrets or national security) prevents their release.

• Example 2: Public Health Investigation Reports

  Suppose a journalist is investigating a recent outbreak of a foodborne illness linked to a product regulated by a federal health agency. The agency conducted an investigation, compiled reports, and issued findings. The internal investigation reports, scientific data collected, and communications between agency officials regarding the outbreak's cause and response would typically be foiable. The journalist could file a FOIA request to access these records, enabling them to inform the public about the agency's actions and the safety of the food supply, provided no personal health information or ongoing law enforcement sensitive details are involved.

• Example 3: Environmental Impact Assessments

  A non-profit environmental organization is concerned about the potential ecological impact of a proposed new development project that requires a federal permit. Before granting the permit, the relevant federal agency conducts an environmental impact assessment. The comprehensive reports, scientific studies, expert opinions, and public comments gathered during this assessment process would be foiable. The organization could request these documents through FOIA to review the agency's findings, understand the environmental risks, and potentially challenge the permit decision based on the disclosed information.