These records consist of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests on specific topics or records.
The FOIA (5 U.S.C. 552, as amended) provides any person with the statutory right to request information from executive branch agencies of the U.S. Government. This right of access is subject to nine statutory FOIA exemptions, which provide agencies the authority to withhold records in whole or in part.
The Presidential Records Act (PRA) governs the official records of Presidents, including President George W. Bush, created or received after January 20, 1981. The PRA allows for public access to Presidential Records through FOIA beginning five years after the end of a President's Administration. However, it allows the President to invoke as many as six specific restrictions to public access for up to 12 years. The PRA restrictions for George W. Bush Presidential records expired on January 20, 2021. The Library is proactively releasing records previously withheld under a PRA restriction on a rolling basis. Consult with an archivist concerning re-review of specific materials.
President George W. Bush's presidential records became subject to request under FOIA on January 20, 2014. FOIA requests are processed on a first in/first out system based on the type and volume of potentially responsive records.
Please view the Finding Aids to learn more about all open presidential records currently available for research. To submit a FOIA request, please view Submit a FOIA Request.