information for practice

In 1966, with the passage of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the federal government defined what the public has a right to know, and how they can exercise that right to obtain government-held information. This was followed by passage of the Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 and the Sunshine Act of 1976, both of which focused on public access to government meetings. Pursuant to the federal example, all 50 states, the District of Columbia and some local governments passed similar laws. These laws are often known as “sunshine” laws or public access laws. Although each law is different, they generally declare that all records and meetings are open unless certain specified exemptions apply. “Sunshine” or openness in government refers to two distinct areas: access to public records and access to public meetings. This publication focuses on the latter.