Policy & Advocacy
SPARC advocates for policies at the local, national, and international level that promote openness in research and education. Listed below are SPARC's active policy priorities. Click here to see previous policies SPARC has advocated for.
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Stopping the Cengage/McGraw-Hill Merger
Successfully blocked: The proposed Cengage/McGraw-Hill merger, which would have combined the second and third largest higher ed publishers, was terminated in May 2020 after the companies failed to reach a divestiture agreement with the DOJ. SPARC submitted a 49-page antitrust...
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The “Pro Codes” Act
SPARC opposes the "Pro Codes" Act that seeks to to undermine the public's ability to print, copy, or download codes and standards.
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Past SPARC Policy Priorities
Open Access · Open Data · Open EducationThis page lists previous SPARC policy priorities that have already passed or are no longer active.
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Request for Information on the Department of Education’s Learning Agenda
Open EducationComment submitted: SPARC submitted comments to the Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences on its FY 2022-2026 Learning Agenda, recommending evidence-building activities on OER's role in postsecondary access, affordability, and completion.
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Passed into Law: OPEN Government Data Act (S. 760 / H.R. 1770)
Open DataThe Open, Permanent, Electronic, and Necessary (OPEN) Government Data Act is a bipartisan bill to codify President Obama’s Executive Order making “open and machine readable” the default for all government data. It passed Congress on December 31, 2018 and was signed into law on January 14,...
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Higher Education Act (HEA) Reauthorization
Open EducationThe Higher Education Act is the federal law that governs higher education and could be amended through reauthorization to promote OER at institutions of higher education.
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Letter Opposing the Pro Codes Act
Open AccessSPARC joined nineteen other organizations and civil society groups in a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee opposing the Pro Codes Act.
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RFI on National Institute of Justice Public Access Plan
Open Access · Open DataSPARC responded to a Request for Information on the National Institute of Justice's Public Access Plan.
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