WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Pat Leahy, D-Vt., Wednesday introduced legislation that would expand accessibility and openness in the federal government.
The bi-partisan reforms are aimed principally at the Freedom of Information Act of 1966, which has not been updated in nearly a decade.
"Achieving the true consent of the governed requires informed consent, and such consent is possible only with an open and accessible government," Cornyn said.
The legislation would close loopholes in FOIA, help requestors obtain timely responses, provide incentives for agencies to respond, and create a hotline tracking system.
"FOIA represents the foundation of our modern open government laws and this bill builds on that by updating its protections to include new technologies and refining the process to reduce delays and encourage accessibility," Leahy said.
Cornyn and Leahy are both members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
