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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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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H.R. 150 / S. 1829, the Grant Reporting Efficiency and Agreements Transparency (GREAT) Act
Open Access · Open DataThis legislation aims to simplify and harmonize federal grant recipient reporting obligations around a standard taxonomy.
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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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Open Government Partnership RFI
Open Access · Open EducationSPARC recommended that the U.S. government's Open Government National Action Plan include a commitment to ensuring, "Immediate, Free Access to and Reuse of Government-funded Research and Educational Materials."
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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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NASA RFI: Input on Public Access Plan
Open Access · Open DataSPARC submitted comments on NASA's Public Access Plan.
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SPARC Comments on OMB’s Proposed Revisions to Guidance for Grants and Agreements
Open AccessSPARC submitted comments on OMB's proposed revisions to its Guidance for Grants and Agreements.
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USDA RFI: Public Access Plan
Open Access · Open DataSPARC submitted comments on USDA's Implementation Plan to Increase Public Access to USDA-Funded Research Results.
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Social Security Administration RFI: Feedback on Public Access Plan
Open Access · Open DataSPARC submitted comments on the Social Security Administration's public access plan.
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