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May 2, 2006

Cornyn/Lieberman Bill Would Improve Taxpayer Access To Federally Funded Research

WASHINGTON—In an effort to increase taxpayers' access to federally funded research, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) on Tuesday introduced the bipartisan Federal Research Public Access Act of 2006. The legislation is co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.).

The bill requires every federal agency with an annual research budget of more than $100 million to implement a public access policy. The policy must ensure that articles generated through research funded by that agency are made available online within six months of publication.

Cornyn said: "This legislation is a common-sense approach to expand the public's access to research it funds. And it will help accelerate scientific innovation and discovery."

Lieberman said: "Tax payer-funded research should be accessible to tax payers. Our bill will give researchers, medical professionals and patients in Connecticut and throughout the nation access to scientific discoveries and advancements that can help bring new treatments and cures to the public."

The legislation requires these federal agencies to:

• Require each researcher—funded totally or partially by the agency—to submit an electronic copy of the final manuscript that has been accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal;
• Ensure the manuscript is preserved in a stable, digital repository maintained by that agency or in another suitable repository that permits free public access, interoperability, and long-term preservation; and
• Require that free, online access to each taxpayer-funded manuscript be available as soon as possible, and no later than six months after its publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

Eleven agencies fall under the legislation: the Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, and Transportation departments, and the Environmental Protection Agency, NASA and National Science Foundation.

Read the full Cornyn press release or the Lieberman press release.
See also Bill Text [PDF] Floor Speech [PDF] One Pager [PDF] FAQs [PDF] .

Posted by Katie Newman at May 2, 2006 3:26 PM