FOIP Act

The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP Act) came into force on October 1, 1995. The FOIP Act was the first access and privacy law in Alberta and provided the foundations on which the OIPC was created.

The FOIP Act provides individuals with the right to request access to information in the custody or control of public bodies while providing public bodies with a framework for conducting the collection, use and disclosure of personal information.

There 1,160 public bodies subject to the FOIP Act, including:

• Departments, branches or offices of the Government of Alberta
• Agencies, boards, commissions, corporations or offices designated in the FOIP Act Regulations
• Municipalities
• Police services and commissions
• School boards and charter schools
• Universities, technical institutes and colleges
• Alberta Health Services, Health Quality Council of Alberta, Covenant Health, nursing home operators and subsidiary health corporations
• Métis settlements
• Public libraries
• Housing management bodies
• Drainage and irrigation districts

Coverage was extended in stages:

• School jurisdictions on September 1, 1998
• Health care bodies on October 1, 1998
• Post-secondary institutions on January 4, 1999
• Local government bodies, such as municipalities and police services, on October 1, 1999

Free printable versions of the legislation can be downloaded from the Alberta Queen’s Printer website at www.qp.alberta.ca  Copies of the Act in print and electronic format can also be purchased from the Queen's Printer. 

Copyright of the Statutes and Regulations, whether in printed or electronic format, is held by the Province of Alberta. No person may download or reproduce copies of the legislation for any purpose other than personal use without the consent of the Alberta Queen's Printer.