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About NFOIC

The National Freedom of Information Coalition is a national 501(c)3 nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of state and regional affiliates representing 37 states and the District of Columbia. Through its programs and services and national member network, NFOIC promotes press freedom, legislative and administrative reforms and litigation to ensure open, transparent and accessible state and local governments and public institutions. Sign up for our newsletter.

NFOIC protects your right to open government. Will you invest in freedom of information and our mission by donating today?

144 Organizations Sign Statement on Government Coronavirus Emergency Transparency

144 organizations have signed a statement to state, tribal and local public institutions voicing concerns about transparency and access to meetings and records as these institutions respond to the...

Retrospect - Celebrating Sunshine Week During the COVID-19 Crisis

As a nation, we have celebrated the week of James Madison’s birthday (March 16) as Sunshine Week for 15 years. Throughout the week, news outlets and open government advocacy groups issue articles and...

Coronavirus clampdown: The virus casts a shroud over American civic life

States and cities across the country are cutting off access to open records and canceling in-person meetings, starving the public — not to mention lobbyists and other influence-brokers — of...

COVID-19 alters government transparency rules

WEST MICHIGAN — Public meetings — and public access to those meetings — look a little bit different in the middle of the global COVID-19 pandemic. In the greater Holland area, township trustees are...

Government Secrecy is Growing During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Students at the University of Florida who want to know how they are being protected from the COVID-19 pandemic can’t find out. The university is hiding its emergency response plan under a legal...

Lessons from States that Embraced Telework Before the Coronavirus

In 2019, according to the Center for State and Local Government Excellence, only about 19% of local governments had any kind of telework arrangements in place and fewer than half the states did. Even...

Read more articles about state and local freedom of information and open government matters in "Recent News." Sign up for NFOIC's mailing list to receive periodic updates and information.

For 2020, NFOIC is publishing for the first time, state transparency legislation in real time. Read more:

Fewer watchdogs, uncooperative public officials are biggest challenges to open government today, according to Open Government Survey Read more:

Your state FOI coalition is working on your behalf to ensure open, transparent and accessible government. Click on your state for important contact information and learn what is happening near you.