Appendix B (The Freedom of Information Act Ombudsman 2026 Report for Fiscal Year 2025)
FY 2025 was a period of significant change affecting the federal government workforce. Many government employees, including many experienced FOIA professionals, departed government service. Between FY 2024 and FY 2025, the number of full-time FOIA staff at all 15 Cabinet-level departments and 10 independent agencies decreased 16 percent, while backlogs across those agencies increased by 27 percent, according to reporting received by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and OGIS from the 24 Chief Financial Officer Act agencies plus the National Archives and Records Administration. OGIS compiled this data before all other independent agencies had reported their FY 2025 data.
|
|
Full-Time FOIA Staff |
Backlogged Requests at End of Year |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
FY 24 Total |
FY 25 Total |
Change as percentage of 2024 Level |
FY 24 Total |
FY 25 Total |
Change as percentage of 2024 Level |
|
GSA |
20.35 |
13.60 |
-33.17% |
354 |
945 |
166.95% |
|
Commerce |
89.15 |
66.33 |
-25.60% |
1,410 |
1,968 |
39.57% |
|
SBA |
190.68 |
287.00 |
50.51% |
413 |
113 |
-72.64% |
|
NARA |
43.45 |
40.55 |
-6.67% |
5,107 |
5,393 |
5.60% |
|
NSF |
5 |
8.00 |
60.00% |
784 |
220 |
-71.94% |
|
Treasury |
196.2 |
119.89 |
-38.89% |
2,791 |
2,781 |
-0.36% |
|
SSA |
32 |
32.77 |
2.41% |
608 |
498 |
-18.09% |
|
OPM |
12 |
11.00 |
-8.33% |
212 |
1,652 |
679.25% |
|
NRC |
14 |
14.00 |
0.00% |
97 |
144 |
48.45% |
|
Interior |
132.9 |
108.00 |
-18.74% |
4,412 |
4,576 |
3.72% |
|
EPA |
251.7 |
213.94 |
-15.00% |
1,564 |
1,663 |
6.33% |
|
NASA |
10.9 |
11.90 |
9.17% |
39 |
111 |
184.62% |
|
Education |
109.61 |
50.61 |
-53.83% |
2,485 |
4,570 |
83.90% |
|
HUD |
97.05 |
65.83 |
-32.17% |
721 |
1,092 |
51.46% |
|
State |
264 |
195.13 |
-26.09% |
21,615 |
27,619 |
27.78% |
|
Transportation |
147.16 |
137.22 |
-6.75% |
8,048 |
11,250 |
39.79% |
|
Energy |
89.52 |
79.21 |
-11.52% |
1,629 |
2,277 |
39.78% |
|
Defense |
958.35 |
946.38 |
-1.25% |
21,436 |
30,476 |
42.17% |
|
USDA |
246.46 |
197.98 |
-19.67% |
2,270 |
3,222 |
41.94% |
|
USAID |
25.75 |
18.00 |
-30.10% |
590 |
1,119 |
89.66% |
|
VA |
367.38 |
235.19 |
-35.98% |
1,539 |
3,549 |
130.60% |
|
HHS |
406.26 |
332.60 |
-18.13% |
12,685 |
18,360 |
44.74% |
|
Justice |
446 |
413.00 |
-7.40% |
21,567 |
29,308 |
35.89% |
|
DHS |
787 |
548.00 |
-30.37% |
141,420 |
168,505 |
19.15% |
|
Labor |
142.49 |
125.98 |
-11.59% |
2,094 |
3,132 |
49.57% |
|
Overall |
5,085.36 |
4,272.11 |
-15.99% |
255,890 |
324,543 |
26.83% |
|
|
Processing Costs |
Litigation Related Costs |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
FY 24 Total |
FY 25 Total |
Change as percentage of 2024 Level |
FY 24 Total |
FY 25 Total |
Change as percentage of 2024 Level |
|
GSA |
$2,173,656 |
$2,862,874 |
31.71% |
$0 |
$0 |
n/a |
|
Commerce |
$11,232,660 |
$11,822,291 |
5.25% |
$309,381 |
$305,302 |
-1.32% |
|
SBA |
$19,964 |
$12,736 |
-36.21% |
$315,000 |
$749,000 |
137.78% |
|
NARA |
$1,632,400 |
$1,654,200 |
1.34% |
$26,000 |
$59,500 |
128.85% |
|
NSF |
$675,349 |
$607,182 |
-10.09% |
$0 |
$0 |
n/a |
|
Treasury |
$26,902,810 |
$17,417,044 |
-35.26% |
$1,606,094 |
$2,436,577 |
51.71% |
|
SSA |
$3,229,480 |
$4,905,465 |
51.90% |
$153,023 |
$96,813 |
-36.73% |
|
OPM |
$1,559,799 |
$989,758 |
-36.55% |
$0 |
$9,760 |
n/a |
|
NRC |
$1,949,482 |
$2,469,735 |
26.69% |
$0 |
$0 |
n/a |
|
Interior |
$17,427,312 |
$13,444,341 |
-22.85% |
$993,531 |
$379,671 |
-61.79% |
|
EPA |
$442,230 |
$39,561,800 |
8845.98% |
$79,250 |
$1,086,800 |
1271.36% |
|
NASA |
$1,613,306 |
$1,605,163 |
-0.50% |
$15,000 |
$15,000 |
0.00% |
|
Education |
$9,992,162 |
$7,034,677 |
-29.60% |
$662,500 |
$657,372 |
-0.77% |
|
HUD |
$139,159 |
$11,690,161 |
8300.60% |
$4,030 |
$41,917 |
940.12% |
|
State |
$33,248,019 |
$37,705,323 |
13.41% |
$2,027,336 |
$6,784,234 |
234.64% |
|
Transportation |
$17,110,990 |
$19,195,063 |
12.18% |
$172,219 |
$444,025 |
157.83% |
|
Energy |
$9,235,076 |
$11,091,652 |
20.10% |
$881,999 |
$815,527 |
-7.54% |
|
Defense |
$99,244,812 |
$64,645,165 |
-34.86% |
$5,684,924 |
$2,012,026 |
-64.61% |
|
USDA |
$21,386,061 |
$15,508,112 |
-27.48% |
$1,991,248 |
$1,919,963 |
-3.58% |
|
USAID |
$5,567,373 |
$6,053,842 |
8.74% |
$36,313 |
$0 |
-100.00% |
|
VA |
$22,037,198 |
$19,560,819 |
-11.24% |
$413,298 |
$740,981 |
79.28% |
|
HHS |
$66,145,484 |
$49,783,877 |
-24.74% |
$14,151,023 |
$6,445,492 |
-54.45% |
|
Justice |
$94,660,721 |
$101,293,601 |
7.01% |
$17,572,990 |
$16,774,973 |
-4.54% |
|
DHS |
$92,629,129 |
$94,918,491 |
2.47% |
$943,551 |
$1,331,755 |
41.14% |
|
Labor |
$18,030,082 |
$7,217,358 |
-59.97% |
$743,296 |
$751,580 |
1.11% |
|
Overall |
$558,284,712 |
$543,050,729 |
-2.73% |
$48,782,006 |
$43,858,267 |
-10.09% |