Freedom of Information Act Requests / Uniform Information Practices Act
What is the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)?
The FOIA allows the general public including foreign citizens, military and civilian personnel acting as private citizens, to request records electronically or in writing from the Federal Government. Some records are released to the public under the FOIA, and may therefore reflect deletion of some information in accordance with the FOIA’s nine statutory exemptions or two law enforcement record exclusions. A consolidated list of such records is on the DoD and Air Force FOIA sites. Currently the law allows 20 working days to process a FOIA request upon receipt of the request in the FOIA office.
Who can submit a FOIA request?
Members of the public, including foreign citizens, military and civilian personnel acting as private citizens, organizations and businesses, and individual members of the Congress for themselves or constituents, may request records in writing. It is important to remember that the FOIA applies only to federal agencies. It does not create a right of access to records held by Congress, the courts, state or local government agencies, or by private businesses or individuals. Each state has its own public access laws that should by consulted for access to state and local records.
How to make a HI DOD FOIA request
or email [email protected]
What is the Uniform Information Practices Act (UIPA)?
The Uniform Information Practices Act (Modified), chapter 92F, Hawaii Revised Statutes (“UIPA”), is Hawaii’s public records law. The Office of Information Practices (“OIP”) was created by the Legislature in 1988 to administer the UIPA.
In an effort to increase transparency are aligned with the Legislature’s adoption of the Uniform Information Practices Act (“UIPA”) (chapter 92F, Hawaii Revised Statutes) in order to conduct government business as openly as possible while protecting the right of privacy embodied in our State constitution. The goals of this program is to:
- Promote the public interest in disclosure;
- Provide for accurate, relevant, timely, and complete records;
- Enhance government accountability;
- Make government accountable to individuals in the collection, use, and dissemination of information relating to them; and
- Balance the individual privacy interest and the public interest, allowing access unless disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.
The UIPA permits agencies to charge for the disclosure of government records. These charges include fees and costs incurred as a result of copying, searching, reviewing, redacting, and related activities.
In addition to the fee waivers required by OIP’s rules, executive agencies should take practical actions to reduce the costs of complying with UIPA requests. These actions include but are not limited to:
- Disclosing government records in electronic form rather than paper form when that would reduce copying costs;
- Working with the requester(s) to narrow the scope of complex record requests to reduce the amount of agency response time and effort that detract from personnel’s normal assigned duties;
- Working with the requester on the timeline for responding to a request where doing so will help reduce the cost of responding;
- Working with the requester on finding ways to decrease the cost of complying with the request.
How to make a HI DOD UIPA request
or email [email protected]
FOIA / UIPA requests, comments or questions can be directed to:
HI DOD Public Affairs
3949 Diamond Head Road
Honolulu Hawaii 96816
(808) 441-7000
[email protected]
Office of Information and Privacy
NGB FOIA Office (NGB/JA-OIP)
ATTN: ANG FOIA Request
111 South George Mason Drive, AH2
Arlington, VA 22204-1373
[email protected]
To inquire on the status of your request, you may contact the NGB FOIA Office at:
(844) 573-2939 [email protected]
Hawaii National Guard Liaison for FOIA Questions:
Hawaii Army National Guard Liaison for FOIA Questions:
Master Sgt. Gloria Agron
Phone: (808) 672-1285
Email: [email protected]
Hawaii Air National Guard Liaison for FOIA Questions:
MARIAH N. AKAU, TSgt, HIANG
Knowledge Management
154 CS/SCXK
360 Mamala Bay Drive,
Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, HI 96853-5517
Email: [email protected]
DSN: (315) 447-0023
Comm: 808-789-0023