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David Cuiller will brief House members on how well federal agencies adhere to the Freedom of Information Act.

David Cuillier, an assistant professor in the University of Arizona School of Journalism, will provide members of Congress with information about the latest research in cultures of openness and secrecy among federal agencies.

Cuillier was invited to testify Thursday, March 18, at a hearing before the U.S. House of Representatives' Information Policy, Census and National Archives Subcommittee, a subcommittee of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

The hearing will be Webcast live starting at 2 p.m. EST (11 a.m. in Tucson).

The focus of the hearing is on current trends in how agencies follow – and don't follow – the federal Freedom of Information Act.

The group is examining whether recent actions, such as the creation of a new federal public records ombudsman office and the president's open government directive, have led to improved access to information for the American public, and what can be done to ingrain a culture of transparency and accountability among federal agencies.

"Historically, government openness tends to fluctuate depending on the times and president," Cuillier said. "Sometimes agencies follow the law but sometimes they don't, or they drag out requests for months or years. Changes in agency culture are needed to make sure citizens' access to records is implemented efficiently and consistently."

Cuillier will be one of eight witnesses to speak, including the federal public records ombudsman, agency FOIA officers, a litigator for the Electronic Freedom Foundation and expert records requesters.

He said he was asked to speak because of his research in the psychology of the request process and for publishing his most recent book, "The Art of Access: Strategies for Acquiring Public Records."

In addition to researching and teaching records access, Cuillier is the Society of Professional Journalists' national Freedom of Information Committee chairman, assisting journalists in accessing public records and following developments in freedom of information laws.