The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a federal statute which allows any person the right to obtain federal agency records unless the records (or part of the records) are protected from disclosure by any of the nine exemptions contained in the law. On October 2, 1996, President Clinton signed into law the Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments of 1996 (E-FOIA). E-FOIA will make it possible for individuals to have electronic access to certain USDA information without making a formal FOIA request.
