Discussions of transgender care at HHS
It is a clone of this request.
| Tracking # |
2021-01490-FOIA-OS |
| Submitted | July 27, 2021 |
| Due | Sept. 27, 2021 |
| Est. Completion | None |
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Communications
From: Emily Crose
To Whom It May Concern:
Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:
All internal documentation including emails, memos, voice or video recordings or other inter/intra agency/office communications that include the words "transgender", "Statutory Conscience", "transsexual", or "trans" between the dates of January 2017 through the date of this request (May, 2019).
Please also include any communications that may be responsive to this request that were made by the director of HHS or any of his deputies.
This is a re-file of a request that was improperly closed previously.
The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.
In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Emily Crose
From: Department of Health and Human Services
Dear Emily Crose,
A temporary password has been issued and sent to the email address provided. Please check your email for this temporary password and return to https://requests.publiclink.hhs.gov/palMain.aspx to login. If you have any previously submitted requests to U.S. Department of Health & Human Services you will be able to view them by logging into your user account
Kindly change the password provided by us.
Regards,
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
From: Department of Health and Human Services
Dear Emily Crose,
The status of your FOIA request #2021-01490-FOIA-OS has been updated to the following status 'Received'. To log into the HHS FOIA Submission Site click on the Application URL below.
https://requests.publiclink.hhs.gov/palMain.aspx
Sincerely,
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
From: Department of Health and Human Services
Dear Emily Crose,
Case Number 2021-01490-FOIA-OS has been assigned to the request you submitted. In all future correspondence regarding this request please reference case number 2021-01490-FOIA-OS.
Regards,
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
From: Department of Health and Human Services
Dear Emily Crose, Please see the attached acknowledgement letter for information concerning your FOIA matter. The tracking number for your request is 2021-01490-FOIA-OS. For status updates or other inquiries, please contact our office via email or call (202)260-6933. (mailto:FOIARequest@hhs.gov) FOIARequest@hhs.gov Sincerely, Emily Blitzer
From: Department of Health and Human Services
Dear Ms. Crose, Please see the attached Clarification letter for information concerning your FOIA matter. The tracking number for your request is 2021-01490-FOIA-OS. Should have any questions or require further guidance, please contact our office via email or call (202)260-6933. (mailto:FOIARequest@hhs.gov) FOIARequest@hhs.gov Sincerely, Emily Blitzer
From: Emily Crose
I believe my request is very clear. I’m looking for communications records (emails, voice recordings, anything that may constitute a “communication” between two employees of HHS), or policy development documents (this might include communications records discussing how to create policy for transgender Americans).
Please contact me if this isn’t clear enough to you.
From: Department of Health and Human Services
RE: 2021-01490-FOIA-OS
Dear Ms.Crose, Per the Clarification letter, “ TheOffice of the Chief Information Officer reports due to technology constraints, . Electronic searches run against our live email system and asearch against all HHS employees would crash our system. Regarding the searchterms, we would need the HHScannot run a blind search against all users in HHS or an operating/staffdivision domain names for each entity in the list sothat we could identify emails to or from a custodian to those entities. Forexample, “emails to or from Jane Doe (Jane.Doe@hhs.gov) and @organization.orgor @commercial_entity.com ” with specific key words and date ranges” Pleasenote the bolded portions represent the current deficiency in your request. Please provide the information necessary asstated above. Sincerely,
Emily Blitzer
From: Emily Crose
Then I'll accept a limitation of any emails to/from the director of the organization during the same period of time.
From: Department of Health and Human Services
Good Afternoon,
I received your response (below) to the my request for Clarification.
As stated in the previously received (and attached for reference) letter, “Office of the Chief Information Officer reports due to technology constraints, HHS cannot run a blind search against all users in HHS or an operating/staff division. Electronic searches run against our live email system and a search against all HHS employees would crash our system."
To proceed, please specify the agencies, offices, or individuals involved; and/or Author, recipient, case number, file designation, or other reference number.
I apologize for the significant delay in my response. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, HHS has adjusted its normal operations to balance the need of completing its mission as effectively and efficiently as possible while also adhering to the recommended safety guidelines to protect of our staff. As a result, many requesters are experiencing a delay in receiving an initial acknowledgment as well as a substantive response to your FOIA request or appeal. This is delay is caused by the referenced changes in operations. During this time, HHS has received an unprecedented amount of FOIA request submissions. As we are only able to receive requests electronically and the significant increase in volume of incoming requests, there has been an increased delay in initial intake and processing times. We apologize for this inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and patience.
Thank you,
Emily F. Blitzer
FOIA Management Analyst
Department of Health and Human Services
Office of the Secretary (OS)
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA)
Email: Emily.blitzer@hhs.gov
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From: Emily Crose
I said very clearly in my response on 9/20 that I’m willing to accept a limitation of any email meeting the keyword matches to and/or from the director between the dates listed on the original request.
From: Emily Crose
I said very clearly in my response on 9/20 that I’m willing to accept a limitation of any email meeting the keyword matches to and/or from the director between the dates listed on the original request.
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on July 27, 2021. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #2021-01490-FOIA-OS.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Department of Health and Human Services
Good Afternoon,
Your request is currently being processed and records are being gathered.
Thank you,
Emily
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~WRD0000
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on July 27, 2021. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #2021-01490-FOIA-OS.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on July 27, 2021. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #2021-01490-FOIA-OS.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Muckrock Staff
To Whom It May Concern:
I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information Act request, copied below, and originally submitted on July 27, 2021. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response. You had assigned it reference number #2021-01490-FOIA-OS.
Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.
From: Department of Health and Human Services
Dear Emily Crose,
The status of your FOIA request #2021-01490-FOIA-OS has been updated to the following status 'In Process'. To log into the HHS FOIA Submission Site click on the Application URL below.
https://requests.publiclink.hhs.gov
Sincerely,
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
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