§6624 Federal Scientific Collections

Summary

The Office of Science and Technology Policy must make rules for how federal scientific collections are cared for, organized, shared (including online), and kept safe for the long term. In making those rules, the Office must consult with the federal agencies that hold collections and with outside groups that have a stake in them, like state and local agencies, colleges, museums, and other institutions. The Office must also work with agencies to build an online clearinghouse that shows what federal collections contain and how to access them. Before a federal agency gets rid of a collection, it must review its research value and talk with researchers and other interested people about research and teaching uses, and the rules must provide ways to transfer unneeded collections to qualified institutions. The Office must also create common methods for estimating the costs of managing and preserving collections. Scientific collection — physical specimens, living or not, kept to support science and long-term research (not for sale or for historical/artistic value), and, when appropriate, related data and materials.