Freedom of Information Public Improvements Act of 1988

Freedom of Information Public Improvements Act of 1988 - Title I: Amendments to the Freedom of Information Act - Amends the Freedom of Information Act to require each agency, with respect to requests for records, to maintain a log of such requests and responses. Requires each agency to organize and maintain its records in a manner to make them easily accessible and retrievable.

Revises provisions regarding fees and waivers for processing such requests. Makes eligible for reasonable standard fees or charges the document duplication requests of a nonprofit organization that intends to make the information available to the news media, to any branch or agency of Federal, State, or local government, or to the public. Allows documents to be furnished without charge or at a reduced fee if: (1) the information relates to a violation of law, inefficiency, or administrative error by an agency; or (2) the waiver or fee reduction is in the public interest because the furnishing of the information primarily benefits the general public. Declares that for purposes of reduced fees or waived charges the publication, reproduction, resale, or other dissemination of information obtained by any person from an agency is not a commercial use.

Authorizes the appropriate district court to assess monetary penalties against the United States for unwarranted failure to comply with time limits for answering requests. Revises provisions relating to sanctions for such agency noncompliance. Requires that copies of recommendations on disciplinary action for any Federal employee responsible for wrongful noncompliance be submitted additionally to the court and to the House Committee on Government Operations and the Senate Committee on the Judiciary. (Currently, such report is submitted only to the agency and the employee or the employee-representative.)

Requires each agency to expedite access to records if the requester demonstrates a compelling need.

Requires agencies to include in regulations concerning information disclosure a detailed description of the procedure used to process requests.

Includes as information exempt from disclosure: (1) matters which would cause identifiable damage to the national defense; and (2) matters in which the need to protect the information outweighs the public interest.

Changes the disclosure exemption for internal personnel rules and practices to an exemption for law enforcement manuals that are internal in nature to the extent that disclosure would risk circumvention of an agency investigation, a regulation, or a statute.

Revises the exemption for financial reports by prohibiting disclosure if it would directly injure the financial stability of an institution.

Directs each agency to make available to the public a complete list of all statutes determined to authorize the agency to withhold information under the disclosure exemption.

Requires each agency, upon notification of the introduction of any bill or resolution constituting authority for that agency to withhold information, to notify the House Committee on Government Operations and the Senate Committee on the Judiciary.

Prohibits the withholding of information in order to conceal violations of law, inefficiency, or administrative error.

Directs the Archivist of the United States to supervise compliance with the Freedom of Information Act.

Changes the date of the annual report by agencies under such Act to March 1 to December 1. Revises information to be included in such report to conform to amendments made by this Act.

Directs the Archivist of the United States to submit an annual report on or before December 1 on activities under the Freedom of Information Act. (Currently, the Attorney General makes such annual report on March 1.)

Title II: Recovery of Wrongfully Removed Agency Files - Authorizes any person to commence a civil action to recover agency records removed in violation of law.