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Bill would require free access to federally funded research
Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.) plans to introduce legislation on Thursday that would require researchers who receive federal funding to post their final publications online for free.
Matt Dinkel, a spokesman for Doyle, confirmed the congressman plans to re-introduce the Federal Research Public Access Act, a bill he has offered in previous years. The legislation would require all federal agencies that have an external research budget of above $100 million to require their grant recipients to post their articles online for free within 6 months of publication in any peer-reviewed journal.
The measure is co-sponsored by Reps. Kevin Yoder (R-Kan.) and Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.). Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) plan to introduce companion legislation in the Seante
The issue of public access to academic research has gained more attention since Internet activist Aaron Swartz committed suicide last month.
Many of the articles on JSTOR are supported, at least in part, by government funding. The service costs thousands of dollars each year for full access to its archive of materials.
The charges against Swartz carried a maximum penalty of 35 years in prison.
His death has sparked outrage and calls for policy reforms among Internet activists and on Capitol Hill.
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) is drafting Aaron's Law, a bill that would narrow the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, the hacking law that prosecutors charged Swartz with violating.
Dinkel noted that Doyle had been pushing for his bill long before Swartz's death, but he said the goal of the legislation is "certainly something [Swartz] supported."
—Updated at 2:15 p.m.
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