SPARC, the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition, has applauded Congressional passage of the Open, Public, Electronic and Necessary (OPEN) Government Data Act. The bill, which is included as Title II of the broader Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act, requires federal agencies to publish government data in machine-readable and open formats and use open licenses.
This bill will make information generated by the federal government more accessible and transparent to entrepreneurs, researchers, and others who can use those files - and in doing so, will generate new services and products, build businesses and create jobs.
In addition to assuring that government data is available to the public by default, the OPEN Government Data Act directs agencies to support innovative uses of government data, adopt consistent data practices across government, and develop best practices for Open Data. It also provides much-needed clarity on important foundational policy elements, such as providing clear definitions of covered data and open licenses. And just as critically, it codifies key aspects of President Obama’s 2013 landmark Executive Order on Open Data into permanent statute.
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