Nestande Bill on Public Access Clears Hurdle - Banning-Beaumont, CA Patch

"A Palm Desert lawmaker's bill proposing that manuscripts published as part of state-funded research be freely available to the public cleared its first legislative hurdle today. AB 609, introduced by Assemblyman Brian Nestande, R-Palm Desert, was approved by the Assembly Committee on Accountability and Administrative Review. The bill now heads to the Assembly Committee on Appropriations. Nestande said he brought the proposal forward to ensure taxpayers have free access to the very research papers for which they pay. 'California taxpayers invest hundreds of millions of dollars into research annually,' the lawmaker said. 'When the result of that research is published, they can only access the information by purchasing costly journal subscriptions. If we want California to remain on the cutting edge of innovation and science, we must make this information available to those who can use and build upon it.' AB 609 would require that research material funded through state grants issued by any agency under the governor be digitally archived and made available online, without cost, via the California State Library system, or another state-approved repository ..."