1. FY 98 — fiscal year 1998, which in this year covers a one-time
only period of October 1, 1997 to September 30, 1998.
2. FOIA — Freedom of Information Act, as amended by the Electronic
Freedom of Information Act Amendments of 1996.
3. FOIA request — a FOIA request is generally a request for
access to records concerning a third party, and organization, or
a particular topic of interest. A request made under the related
Privacy Act is a request for records concerning oneself; any such
requests received are treated as FOIA requests. All requests for
access to records under the FOIA or Privacy Act are covered by this
report.
4. Initial request — a request to the agency for access to
records under the FOIA.
5. Appeal — a request to a federal agency asking that it
review at a higher administrative level a full or partial denial
of access to records under the FOIA, or any other FOIA determination
such as a fee waiver or assessment.
6. Processed Request or Appeal — a request or appeal for
which an agency has taken a final action in all respects on the request
or the appeal.
7. Denial — agency decision not to release part of or whole
record in response to a FOIA request because the agency determines
all the information in the requested records is exempt under one
or more exemptions, or for a procedural reason, such as no such record
is retained by the agency.
8. Time limits — the time period for an agency to respond
to a FOIA request, ordinarily 20 working days from proper receipt
of a FOIA request.
9. Median number — the middle, not average, number. For example,
among 3, 7, and 14, the median number is 7.
10. Exemption 3 statute — a separate federal statute prohibiting
the disclosure of a certain type of information and authorizing its
withholding under subsection (b)(3) of the FOIA.
