The Freedom of Information Act (5
USC 552) requires each federal government agency to make available
to the public information describing its organization, functions,
procedures, and substantive rulings of general applicability. This
information must be published in the
Federal Register. An agency
must make available for public inspection and copying all orders made
in the adjudication of cases and all policy statements and interpretations
adopted by the agency, if they are not published in the
Federal
Register or published and made available to the public for sale
or without charge. Administrative staff manuals and instructions to
staff that affect a member of the public also must be made available
for inspection and copying unless they are published and sold to the
public or made available without charge. The Electronic Freedom of
Information Act Amendments of 1996 requires federal agencies to provide
these documents over the Internet, as well as for public inspection
and copying, if they were created on or after November 1, 1996 (5
USC 552(a)(2) at
8-250). To implement these requirements, the Board
of Governors of the Federal Reserve System has adopted Rules Regarding
Availability of Information (12 CFR 261).
