article: SECTION 1. INFORMATION MADE AVAILABLE IN ELECTRONIC FORMAT AND INDEXATION OF RECORDS. Section 552(a)(2) of title 5, United States Code, is amended-- (1) in the second sentence, by striking out ``or staff manual or instruction'' and inserting ``staff manual, instruction, or copies of records referred to in subparagraph (D)''; (2) by inserting before the period at the end of the 3rd sentence the following: ``, and the extent of such deletion shall be indicated on the portion of the record which is made available or published''; (3) by inserting after the 3rd sentence the following: ``If technically feasible, the extent of the deletion shall be indicated at the place in the record where the deletion was made.''; (4) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``and'' after the semicolon; (5) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following: ``(D) copies of all records, regardless of form or format, which have been released to any person under paragraph (3) and which, because of the nature of their subject matter, the agency determines have become or are likely to become the subject of subsequent requests for substantially the same records; and ``(E) a general index of the records referred to under subparagraph (D);''; (6) by inserting after the 5th sentence the following: ``Each agency shall make the index referred to in subparagraph (E) available by electronic means by December 31, 1999.''; and (7) by inserting after the 1st sentence the following: ``For records created on or after November 1, 1996, within one year after such date, each agency shall make such records available by computer telecommunications or, if computer telecommunications means have not been established by the agency, by other electronic means.''. SEC. 2. REPORT TO THE CONGRESS. Section 552(e) of title 5, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: ``(e)(1) On or before February 1 of each year, each agency shall submit to the Attorney General a report which shall cover the preceding fiscal year and which shall include-- ``(A) the number of determinations made by the agency not to comply with requests for records made to such agency under subsection (a) and the reasons for each such determination; ``(B)(i) the number of appeals made by persons under subsection (a)(6), the result of such appeals, and the reason for the action upon each appeal that results in a denial of information; and ``(ii) a complete list of all statutes that the agency relies upon to authorize the agency to withhold information under subsection (b)(3), a description of whether a court has upheld the decision of the agency to withhold information under each such statute, and a concise description of the scope of any information withheld; ``(C) the number of requests for records pending before the agency as of September 30 of the preceding year, and the median number of days that such requests had been pending before the agency as of that date; ``(D) the number of requests for records received by the agency and the number of requests which the agency processed; ``(E) the median number of days taken by the agency to process different types of requests; ``(F) the total amount of fees collected by the agency for processing requests; ``(G) the average amount of time that the agency estimates as necessary, based on the past experience of the agency, to comply with different types of requests; and ``(H) the number of full-time staff of the agency devoted to processing requests for records under this section, and the total amount expended by the agency for processing such requests. ``(2) Each agency shall make each such report available to the public through a computer network, or if computer network means have not been established by the agency, by other electronic means. ``(3) The Attorney General shall make each report which has been made available by electronic means available at a single electronic access point. The Attorney General shall notify the Chairman and ranking minority member of the Committee on Government Reform and Oversight of the House of Representatives and the Chairman and ranking minority member of the Committees on Governmental Affairs and the Judiciary of the Senate, no later than April 1 of the year in which each such report is issued, that such reports are available by electronic means. ``(4) The Attorney General, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, shall develop reporting and performance guidelines in connection with reports required by this subsection by October 1, 1997, and may establish additional requirements for such reports as the Attorney General determines may be useful. ``(5) The Attorney General shall submit an annual report on or before April 1 of each calendar year which shall include for the prior calendar year a listing of the number of cases arising under this section, the exemption involved in each case, the disposition of such case, and the cost, fees, and penalties assessed under subparagraphs (E), (F), and (G) of subsection (a)(4). Such report shall also include a description of the efforts undertaken by the Department of Justice to encourage agency compliance with this section.''.
summary: Amends the Freedom of Information Act to require each Federal agency to make available for public inspection and copying: (1) copies of all records, regardless of form or format, which have become or are likely to become the subject of subsequent requests; (2) a general index of such records, which shall be made available electronically by December 31, 1999; and (3) within one year after November 1, 1996, by computer telecommunications or other electronic means, those records created on or after November 1, 1996. Revises reporting requirements concerning such provisions.