Title 44Public Printing and DocumentsRelease 119-73

§3581 Presumption of accessibility for statistical agencies and units

Title 44 › Chapter CHAPTER 35— - COORDINATION OF FEDERAL INFORMATION POLICY › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER III— - CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION PROTECTION AND STATISTICAL EFFICIENCY › Part Part D— - Access to Data for Evidence › § 3581

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Agency heads must, when practical, give any data they keep to a statistical agency or unit that asks for it to help build evidence. This does not apply if another law clearly bans sharing, or if a later law specifically says it overrides this rule. The Director must make rules that require timely sharing, list laws that block sharing, set clear standards to follow section 552a of title 5 (the Privacy Act of 1974) and other privacy laws, and create a clear process for requesting and answering data requests. Nothing here changes intellectual property rights or the terms of any signed contract.

Full Legal Text

Title 44, §3581

Public Printing and Documents — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The head of an agency shall, to the extent practicable, make any data asset maintained by the agency available, upon request, to any statistical agency or unit for purposes of developing evidence.
(b)Subsection (a) does not apply to any data asset that is subject to a statute that—
(1)prohibits the sharing or intended use of such asset in a manner as to leave no discretion on the issue; or
(2)if enacted after the date of the enactment of this section, specifically cites to this paragraph.
(c)The Director shall prescribe regulations for agencies to carry out this section. Such regulations shall—
(1)require the timely provision of data assets under subsection (a);
(2)provide a list of statutes that exempt agencies from the requirement under subsection (a) pursuant to subsection (b)(1);
(3)establish clear and consistent standards, to the extent possible, for complying with section 552a of title 5 (commonly known as the “Privacy Act of 1974”) and any other applicable law requiring the protection and confidentiality of individually identifiable information; and
(4)require a transparent process for statistical agencies and units to request data assets from agencies and for agencies to respond to such requests.
(d)Nothing in this section may be construed as altering existing intellectual property rights or the terms of any contract or other binding, written agreement.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The date of the enactment of this section, referred to in subsec. (b)(2), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 115–435, which was approved Jan. 14, 2019.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective 180 days after Jan. 14, 2019, see section 403 of Pub. L. 115–435, set out as an

Effective Date

of 2019 Amendment note under section 306 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

44 U.S.C. § 3581

Title 44Public Printing and Documents

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73