The US Senate has reportedly passed the 2008 appropriations bill that, if not rejected by the President, will be a big step ahead for open access (OA). The Senate passed the 2008 appropriations bill by a voting margin of 75 to 19.
The bill includes $150 billion in funding for the Departments of Health and Human Services, and Education. In addition, it includes a public access provision for all research funded by the National Institutes of Health, accounting for over $24 billion in extramural research.
The two amendments were filed in the Senate on October 19 to strike or modify language from a Senate appropriations bill that would require NIH-funded research to be made publicly available.
However, it has been reported that President Bush will likely veto the bill as it involves high level of spending.
