2022: Fitzpatrick Voted To Authorize $60 Million For The National
Archives And Records Administration To Address Backlogs On Military
Personnel Record Requests From Veterans, Improve Digital Preservation
And Access To Archives, And Address FOIA Backlogs. In July 2022,
according to Congressional Quarterly, Fitzpatrick voted for a
resolution, which would "authorize $60 million for the National
Archives and Records Administration to address backlogs in responding to
military personnel record requests from veterans, improve cybersecurity,
improve digital preservation and access to archival federal records and
address backlogs in Freedom of Information Act requests. It would
require the U.S. archivist to submit to Congress, within 60 days of
enactment, a plan to reduce the backlog of requests from the National
Personnel Records Center and improve operations efficiency, including an
estimate of backlog record requests for veterans; target timeframes to
reduce the backlog; and strategies to prevent future backlogs. It would
also require the archivist to ensure that the center maintains staffing
levels and telework arrangements that enable the 'maximum processing' of
records requests with the goal of responding to 90 percent of requests
in 20 days or less." The vote was on passage. The House passed the bill
by a vote 406-21, thus the bill was sent to the Senate. The Senate did
not take substantive action on the bill. [House Vote 356,
7/14/22; Congressional
Quarterly, 7/14/22;
Congressional Actions, H.R.
7337]