Scaled-Down Public-Access Bill Introduced

Reps. Jim Sensenbrenner Jr. (R-Wis.) and Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas) have introduced a bill in the House of Representatives to ensure public access to results of scientific research funded by the federal government. In contrast to previously introduced legislation, which applies to all federal agencies that annually fund $100 million or more in scientific research, the Public Access to Public Science (PAPS) Act (H.R. 3157) applies only to research supported by four agencies: NASA, NSF, the National Institute of Standards & Technology, and the National Weather Service. The bill requires the four agencies to develop a strategy for depositing published scientific results in a repository maintained by the federal government or another entity within 12 months of publication.