GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
Washington, DC 20417
ADM 5450.161
November 16, 2012
GSA DELEGATION OF AUTHORITY
SUBJECT: Freedom of Information Act Delegation of Authority (Full PDF Format)
1. Purpose. This order covers handling of requests made pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
2. Cancellation. ADM 5450.159, Delegation of Authority, issued February 3, 2012, is cancelled.
3. Background. ADM 5450.159, dated February 3, 2012, delegated authority to release or deny information under FOIA to Heads of Services and Staff Offices and Regional Administrators, allowing further delegation only to the Counsel to the Inspector General and Chief Counsel of the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals. The Chief FOIA Officer was the appellate authority for non-Office of Inspector General FOIA appeals, with the Chief People Officer as the alternate appellate authority if the Chief FOIA Officer decided the initial FOIA request.
4. Delegation of Authority. Effective immediately, Heads of Services and Staff Offices and Regional Administrators are no longer delegated authority to make release and denial decisions for initial FOIA requests, including associated decisions regarding fee waivers and expedited processing requests. This authority is delegated to the Inspector General and Chairman of the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals, for requests for records under their respective purviews, and to the Chief Administrative Services Officer for all other FOIA requests submitted to GSA. The Inspector General may further delegate this authority to Counsel to the Inspector General, and the Chairman of the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals may further delegate this authority to the Chief Counsel of the Civilian Board of Contract Appeals. The Chief Administrative Services Officer may further delegate this authority to the staff of the FOIA Requester Service Center.
Authority to decide FOIA appeals is delegated to the Inspector General for all Inspector General related matters and to the Chief Administrative Services Officer in the Office of Administrative Services for all other GSA FOIA appeals. In the event the Chief Administrative Services Officer made the initial determination that is the subject of the appeal, the Chief People Officer will decide the appeal.
Freedom of Information Act Delegation of Authority (Full PDF Format)
U.S. General Services Administration