A bipartisan group of Senate and House leaders wants Attorney General Merrick Garland to remind federal agency heads they are required by law to make public documents sought under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), unless they have a solid legal reason to do otherwise. Their Feb. 23 letter was prompted by Garland’s failure in the first year of President Joe Biden’s tenure in the Oval Office to do what other recent Attorneys General have routinely done, which is to circulate such a reminder prior to the end of that first year. “The Department of Justice (DOJ) is responsible for encouraging agency compliance with the FOIA. The Attorney General has historically issued FOIA standards before the end of October during the first year of a new administration,” the six signers of the letter wrote. “As the Biden administration begins its second year, the need for guidance becomes increasingly urgent. We …