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Stronger Freedom of Information Act

President Bush has signed into law a bill that toughens the Freedom of Information Act.

The new law will give the public and all media greater access to information about what the government is doing.

It's the first makeover of FOIA in a decade.

The law forces agencies to meet a 20-day deadline to respond to requests. It creates a system that will let people track the status of their FOIA requests and establishes a hotline for access to all federal agencies. An ombudsman also will provide an alternative to litigation in disputes over disclosure.