Cornyn Bill to Expand Open Government Passes Congress

Press Release

Cornyn Bill to Expand Open Government Passes Congress

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a leading open government advocate, said final congressional passage of his bipartisan OPEN Government Act on Tuesday is a "victory for transparency in federal government operations, and a vital building block to strengthen our democratic process." The legislation, sponsored by Sens. Cornyn and Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., will enact the most sweeping reforms to open government laws in more than a decade. Following Senate passage last week, the House unanimously passed the Cornyn-Leahy bill on Tuesday, sending it to the President for his signature.

"Passage of these long-overdue open government reforms is a victory for transparency in federal government operations, and a vital building block to strengthen our democratic process. This sweeping legislation to let more sunshine in government will be one of the signature achievements of this Congress," Sen. Cornyn said. "Our bipartisan bill holds politicians and bureaucrats accountable in an age of ever-expanding size and scope of government. These reforms, embraced across the political spectrum, strengthen our democracy by building on the ideals this nation was founded upon—the people's fundamental right to know."

Sen. Cornyn added: "Texas has one of the strongest open government laws in the nation. When I came to the Senate five years ago, bringing a little Texas sunshine to the federal government was a cornerstone of my legislative priorities. It is a principle I have advocated throughout my years in public service. So it is great to see these significant reforms achieved following years of bipartisan efforts."

The Cornyn-Leahy open government bill expands transparency by closing loopholes in the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), helping FOIA requestors obtain timely responses and ensuring agencies have strong incentives to act on requests, among other provisions.

The bipartisan OPEN Government Act will:

* Restore meaningful deadlines for agency action under FOIA;
* Impose real consequences on federal agencies for missing FOIA's 20-day statutory deadline;
* Clarify that FOIA applies to government records held by outside private contractors;
* Establish a FOIA hotline service for all federal agencies; and
* Create a FOIA Ombudsman to provide FOIA requestors and federal agencies with a meaningful alternative to costly litigation.

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