H.R. 1247

119th CONGRESS 1st Session

To secure Federal access to scientific literature and other subscription services by requiring Federal agencies and legislative branch research arms to make recommendations on increasing agency library access to serials, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES · February 12, 2025 · Sponsor: Mr. Foster · Committee: Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

Table of contents

• H.R. 1247
  • SEC. 1. Short title
  • SEC. 2. Agency journal subscriptions

SEC. 1. Short title

• This Act may be cited as the or the .

SEC. 2. Agency journal subscriptions

• (a) Prohibition on nondisclosure provision for journal subscriptions
  • The head of an agency may not enter into any contract for a journal subscription that prohibits disclosure of the cost of the subscription to another agency or the Library of Congress.
• (b) Employee access to library subscriptions
  • Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the head of each agency shall require that each library of the agency make easily and clearly available to the employees of the agency, including regional employees, through the intranet any policy or procedure for employee access to a subscription of the library.
• (c) Report on increasing access to serials
  • Not later than 12 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in consultation with the Library of Congress, the applicable agency libraries, and other relevant stakeholders (including the Defense Technical Information Center, the National Library of Medicine, the Education Resources Information Center, and the National Technical Information Service) shall submit to Congress and each agency library a report on increasing agency library access to serials that includes—
    • a survey of subscriptions purchased and cost data for applicable agency libraries and the Library of Congress;
    • an outline of any issues with agency access to scientific serials and subscriptions, which may include contract issues, concerns arising with new publishing media (including print, online, and aggregated services), the ability of agency employees to use agency library subscriptions in headquarters and regional offices, purchasing system inefficiencies, and price concerns; and
    • recommendations on addressing issues, including short-term and long-term solutions and assessing the potential need for greater interagency transparency and new purchasing models.
• (d) Definitions
  • In this section:
    • The term Administrator means the Administrator of General Services.
    • The term agency has the meaning given that term in section 551 of title 5, United States Code.
    • The term applicable agency library means the libraries of—
    • The term Director means the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
• (e) Rule of construction
  • Nothing in this section may be construed as requiring the disclosure of matters that are otherwise not subject to disclosure under section 552(b) of title 5, United States Code (commonly referred to as the Freedom of Information Act).