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The Committee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled (Committee), which is responsible for administering the Javits-Wagner-O’Day Act through the AbilityOne Program, proposes to amend its regulations by revising the Committee’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) regulation, 41 CFR 51-8, Public Availability of Agency Materials, to implement the FOIA and incorporate the provisions of the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016 which was signed on June 30, 2016. The Act addresses a range of procedural issues, including requirements that agencies establish a minimum of 90 days for requesters to file an administrative appeal and that they provide dispute resolution services at various times throughout the FOIA process. The Act also codifies the Department of Justice’s foreseeable harm standard, amends Exemption 5, creates a new FOIA Council, and adds two new elements to agency Annual FOIA Reports. This part promotes uniformity in the Committee’s FOIA Program and takes precedence over all Committee issuances that supplement and implement the Committee FOIA Program. The Committee is issuing this rule as an interim final rule with a request for comments to comply with the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016.

Overall Description of Deadline: Required by FOIA Revised Act