This week, we delve into significant developments in transparency and public access. A federal judge in California has extended First Amendment public access rights to military courts, mandating the Navy to provide timely access to nonclassified court-martial records. ProPublica has taken legal action against the Department of Education over unaddressed FOIA requests, highlighting a growing backlog in civil rights investigations. Seven major federal departments missed the deadline for their annual FOIA reports, impacting federal transparency benchmarks. In Indiana, a court ordered the disclosure of execution drug purchasing records, citing violations of state public records law. Lastly, a federal judge rejected the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's broad use of the deliberative process privilege to withhold records, emphasizing the need for specific justifications. Links to all source material are in the show notes.

📚 Sources:

• https://www.propublica.org/article/navy-court-records-ruling-first-amendment
• https://www.propublica.org/article/education-department-civil-rights-office-foia-lawsuit
• https://www.foiaadvisor.com/foia-blog/2026/3/3/foia-news-where-art-thou-annual-reports
• https://www.rcfp.org/idoc-capital-chronicle-ruling/
• https://www.foiaadvisor.com/foia-blog/2026/2/26/court-opinions-issued-feb-25-2026

This week, two federal agencies reported increasing gaps between incoming FOIA requests and their ability to process them. The National Archives and Records Administration saw a 23% rise in requests, with complex requests taking nearly five years to process. The General Services Administration experienced a 43% increase in requests, leading to a 152% rise in backlog. A federal court ruled on expedited processing in CREW v. U.S. Department of Justice, ordering faster processing but declining to set a specific pace. In Florida, House Bill 437, which mandates quicker responses to public records requests, advanced to the House floor. Meanwhile, Georgia's House Bill 1223 proposes new exemptions for law enforcement recordings, sparking debate over access and definitions. Links to all source material are in the show notes.

📚 Sources:

• https://www.foiaadvisor.com/post/nara-reports-a-sharp-increase-in-foia-requests-in-fy-2025
• https://www.foiaadvisor.com/post/gsa-foia-annual-report-fy-2025-request-volume-surges-backlog-more-than-doubles
• https://www.foiaadvisor.com/post/court-grants-crew-expedited-foia-processing-but-declines-to-order-specific-production-rate
• https://floridapolitics.com/archives/781844-release-the-records-final-house-committee-oks-government-transparency-bill/
• https://www.wrdw.com/2026/02/26/ga-bill-could-curb-public-access-police-body-camera-footage/

This week on FOIA News, we delve into the ongoing policy battles across several states driven by resource pressure and cost recovery. New federal data highlights a stark contrast in FOIA performance between the Department of Education and the SEC, with the latter showing significantly better efficiency in handling requests.

In New Hampshire, legislators have paused a body camera bill to address unresolved issues around access, evidence integrity, and funding, opting for an interim study to ensure comprehensive stakeholder input.

In Nevada, Carson City's proposal to impose new fees on public records requests has sparked legal challenges, with transparency advocates arguing it violates state law. The Nevada Press Association warns of inevitable litigation if the fees are adopted.

Meanwhile, Vermont's Montpelier City Council is considering new strategies to manage the high volume of public records requests, including potential state legislation to authorize charges for staff time. The Vermont Journalism Coalition opposes these measures, emphasizing the importance of timely access to public records for transparency.

📚 Sources:

• https://www.foiaadvisor.com/foia-blog/2026/2/12/foia-news-more-annual-reports
• https://citizenportal.ai/articles/7417898/New-Hampshire/Panel-approves-interim-study-on-police-body-camera-policy?source=bluesky&loc=NH
• https://www.carsonnow.org/02/18/2026/government-transparency-watchdogs-say-carson-city-proposed-fees-will-be-litigated-its-just-a-matter-of-when
• https://thebridgevt.org/2026/02/one-persons-public-records-requests-cost-city-hall-hundreds-of-hours/