What is the Freedom of Information Act, and how does it affect HSIPR grantees?
As a Federal agency, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which generally provides that any person has a right, enforceable in court, to obtain access to Federal agency records, except to the extent that such records (or portions of them) are protected from public disclosure by one of nine exemptions or by one of three special law enforcement record exclusions. 5 U.S.C. ยง 552. Materials submitted by grantees under the HSIPR Program become Federal agency records and are thus subject to the FOIA and to public release in response to individual FOIA requests.
