Next Steps in Public Access: Tell your Representatives to Support FRPAA

“On Monday, Reps. Darrell Issa and Carolyn Maloney officially announced that they will no longer to seek to move H.R. 3699, The Research Works Act (RWA), through Congress. The sponsors submitted a formal statement to the Congressional Record, noting that the proposed legislation had ‘exhausted the useful role’ it could play in the conversation about achieving public access to the results of taxpayer funded research.  While the RWA and its damaging implications is no longer an immediate threat, action is still needed to cement stronger footing for public access on Capitol Hill. Education on and support for The Federal Research Public Access Act (FRPAA) is now more important than ever. The most important thing that you can do right now is to help generate additional cosponsors for FRPAA. The bill was launched with bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress, and generating additional support on both sides of the aisle is crucial. Please visit the Action Center sponsored by the Alliance for Taxpayer Access, where you will find resources to help you write letters to your members of Congress, urging them to cosponsor this bill.  Beyond writing your representatives, please also sign the White House petition to further solidify your support of this very important bill.  With the RWA, we’ve seen the results that collective action can yield. In this pivotal moment for public access, you can help sustain this momentum to bring the FRPAA bill to fruition.   We hope you’ll take the time to encourage colleagues and friends to also take part. The squelching of RWA was based on collective action, and we must now use that same energy towards the realization of FRPAA.”