Tech and Industry Groups Urge Congress to Act on OPEN Data Bill – MeriTalk

"The Center for Data Innovation, along with 82 other civil society organizations, signed a letter on April 5 urging Congress to act on a piece of legislation that would spur open Federal data.

The signers pushed for congressional action on the Open, Permanent, Electronic, and Necessary Government Data Act, which would establish a policy requiring Federal agencies to ensure that their data is accessible to the public.

'This legislation would institutionalize the federal government’s commitment to open data and allow the United States to remain a world leader on open data,' the letter states. 'Given the many benefits of this legislation, as well as the broad industry and public support for open data, we respectfully ask this Congress to take quick and decisive action on this bill.'"