# 114-hr-1426: Public Access to Public Science Act

114-hr-1426, Public Access to Public Science Act, is a 114th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Sensenbrenner, F. James, Jr. [R-WI-5] (R-WI); status Referred to the Subcommittee on Research and Technology. (as of 2025-11-18).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-1426
- As of: 2025-11-18
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 114-hr-1426
- Congress: 114
- Title: Public Access to Public Science Act
- Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Research and Technology.
- Introduced: 2015-03-18
- Sponsor: Rep. Sensenbrenner, F. James, Jr. [R-WI-5] (R-WI)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2025-11-18

## Summary

Public Access to Public Science Act Directs each of the covered agencies (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA], National Science Foundation, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and National Weather Service) to formulate and implement a public access policy to make covered works publicly available, without charge, starting on the day after the end of an embargo period. Defines: (1) "covered work" as any research results published in a peer-reviewed scholarly publication based on research funded in whole or in part by a covered agency, with certain exceptions; and (2) "embargo period" as up to 12 months after the initial date of publication of a covered work, unless extended, pursuant to a stakeholder's petition, by the covered agency after determining that the public interest will be substantially and uniquely harmed under the agency's public access policy. Requires the public access policy to: (1) allow the public to read, download, and analyze by machine covered works in digital form; (2) facilitate easy public search of, analysis of, and access to covered works; (3) encourage public-private collaboration to maximize interoperability between public and private platforms, avoid unnecessary duplication of existing mechanisms, and maximize the impact of the covered agency's research investment; (4) ensure that attribution to authors, journals, and original publishers is maintained; and (5) ensure that publications and metadata are stored in an accessible archive. Requires a covered agency's public access policy to ensure full public access to metadata of covered works, without charge, beginning when the covered work is first published.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Rep. Johnson, Eddie Bernice [D-TX-30] (D-TX), 2015-03-18T00:00:00.000Z

## Related bills

- 114-hr-5067: Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Reauthorization Act of 2016
- 114-hr-4938: Free File Act of 2016
- 114-hr-3706: Reach Every Mother and Child Act of 2015
- 114-hr-3406: Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2015
- 114-hr-3381: Childhood Cancer STAR Act
- 114-hr-3119: Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act

## Sources
- [114-hr-1426 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1426)

## Related
- [114-hr-5067: Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Reauthorization Act of 2016](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-5067)
- [114-hr-4938: Free File Act of 2016](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-4938)
- [114-hr-3706: Reach Every Mother and Child Act of 2015](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-3706)
- [114-hr-3406: Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2015](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-3406)
- [114-hr-3381: Childhood Cancer STAR Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-3381)
- [114-hr-3119: Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-3119)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/114-hr-1426 (as of 2025-11-18).