,,ii #aadth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #bfci ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,march #c1 #bjaf ,mr4 ,leahy 7for himself and ,mr4 ,mc,cain7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,rules and ,administration ,a ,,bill ,to direct the ,director of the ,government ,publishing ,office to provide members of the public with ,internet access to ,congressional ,research ,service reports1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,equal ,access to ,congressional ,research ,service ,reports ,act of #bjaf4 #b4 ,definitions 7a7 ,,crs product ,in this ,act1 the term ,,crs product means any final work product of ,,crs in any format4 7b7 ,,crs ,report 7#a7 ,in general ,in this ,act1 the term ,,crs ,report means any written ,,crs product1 including an update to a previous written ,,crs product1 consisting of-- 7,a7 a ,congressional ,research ,service ,report2 7,b7 a ,congressional ,research ,service ,authorization of ,appropriations ,product and ,appropriations ,product2 or 7,c7 subject to paragraph 7#b77;,c71 any other written ,,crs product containing ,,crs research or ,,crs analysis which is available for general congressional access on the ,,crs ,congressional ,intranet4 7#b7 ,exclusions ,the term ,,crs ,report does not include-- 7,a7 any ,,crs product that is determined by the ,,crs ,director to be a custom product or service because it was prepared in direct response to a request for custom analysis or research and is not available for general congressional access on the ,,crs ,congressional ,intranet2 7,b7 any ,congressional ,research ,service ,report or any ,congressional ,research ,service ,authorization of ,appropriations ,product and ,appropriations ,product which1 as of the effective date of this ,act1 is not available for general congressional access on the ,,crs ,congressional ,intranet2 or 7,c7 a written ,,crs product that has been made available by ,,crs for publication on a public website maintained by the ,,gpo ,director 7other than the ,website7 or the ,library of ,congress4 7c7 ,other definitions ,in this ,act-- 7#a7 the term ,,crs means the ,congressional ,research ,service2 7#b7 the term ,,crs ,congressional ,intranet means any of the websites maintained by ,,crs for the purpose of providing to ,members and employees of ,congress access to information from ,,crs2 7#c7 the term ,,crs ,director means the ,director of ,,crs2 7#d7 the term ,,gpo ,director means the ,director of the ,government ,publishing ,office2 7#e7 the term ,member of ,congress includes a ,delegate or ,resident ,commissioner to ,congress2 and 7#f7 the term ,website means the website established and maintained under section #c4 #c4 ,availability of ,,crs reports through ,,gpo website 7a7 ,website 7#a7 ,establishment and maintenance ,the ,,gpo ,director1 in consultation with the ,,crs ,director1 shall establish and maintain a public ,website containing ,,crs ,reports and an index of all ,,crs ,reports contained on the ,website1 in accordance with this section4 7#b7 ,format ,on the ,website1 ,,crs ,reports shall be searchable1 sortable1 and downloadable1 including downloadable in bulk4 7#c7 ,free access ,notwithstanding section #dajb of title #dd1 ,united ,states ,code1 the ,,gpo ,director may not charge a fee for access to the ,website4 7b7 ,updates2 disclaimer ,the ,,gpo ,director1 in consultation with the ,,crs ,director1 shall ensure that the ,website-- 7#a7 is updated contemporaneously1 automatically1 and electronically to include each new or updated ,,crs ,report released on or after the effective date of this ,act2 7#b7 shows the status of each ,,crs ,report as new1 updated1 or withdrawn2 and 7#c7 displays the following statement in reference to the ,,crs ,reports included on the ,website3 ,these documents were prepared by the ,congressional ,research ,service 7,,crs74 ,,crs serves as nonpartisan shared staff to congressional committees and ,members of ,congress4 ,it operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of ,congress4 ,information in a ,,crs ,report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has been provided by ,,crs to ,members of ,congress in connection with ,,crs's institutional role4 ,,crs ,reports1 as a work of the ,united ,states ,government1 are not subject to copyright protection in the ,united ,states4 ,any ,,crs ,report may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from ,,crs4 ,however1 as a ,,crs ,report may include copyrighted images or material from a third party1 you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material44 7c7 ,furnishing of necessary information and technology ,the ,,crs ,director shall consult with and provide assistance to the ,,gpo ,director to ensure-- 7#a7 that the ,,gpo ,director is provided with all of the information necessary to carry out this ,act1 including all of the information described in subparagraphs 7,a7 through 7,e7 of section #d7;a77#a71 in such format and manner as the ,,gpo ,director considers appropriate2 and 7#b7 that ,,crs makes available and implements such technology as may be necessary to facilitate the contemporaneous1 automatic1 and electronic provision of ,,crs ,reports to the ,,gpo ,director as required under this ,act4 7d7 ,nonexclusivity ,the ,,gpo ,director may publish other information on the ,website4 7e7 ,additional techniques ,the ,,gpo ,director and the ,,crs ,director may use additional techniques to make ,,crs ,reports available to the public1 if such techniques are consistent with this ,act and any other applicable laws4 7f7 ,additional information ,the ,,crs ,director is encouraged to make additional ,,crs products that are not custom products or services available to the ,,gpo ,director for publication on the ,website1 and the ,,gpo ,director is encouraged to publish such ,,crs products on the ,website4 7g7 ,expansion of contents of annual report to ,congress ,to include information on efforts ,to make additional products available on ,website ,section #bjc7;i7 of the ,legislative ,reorganization ,act of #aidf 7#b ,u4,s4,c4 #aff7;i77 is amended by striking the period at the end and inserting the following3 1 and shall include in the report a description of the efforts made by the ,director to make additional ,congressional ,research ,service products that are not custom products or services available to the ,director of the ,government ,publishing ,office for publication on the website established and maintained under the ,equal ,access to ,congressional ,research ,service ,reports ,act of #bjaf44 #d4 ,website contents 7a7 ,specific requirements for reports posted on ,website 7#a7 ,responsibilities of ,,gpo ,director ,with respect to each ,,crs ,report included on the ,website1 the ,,gpo ,director shall include-- 7,a7 the name and identification number of the ,,crs ,report2 7,b7 an indication as to whether the ,,crs ,report is new1 updated1 or withdrawn2 7,c7 the date of release of the ,,crs ,report2 7,d7 the division or divisions of ,,crs that were responsible for the production of the ,,crs ,report2 and 7,e7 any other information the ,,gpo ,director1 in consultation with the ,,crs ,director1 considers appropriate4 7#b7 ,responsibilities of ,,crs ,director ,with respect to each ,,crs ,report included on the ,website1 the ,,crs ,director shall1 prior to transmitting the ,report to the ,,gpo ,director-- 7,a7 at the discretion of the ,,crs ,director1 remove the name of and any contact information for any employee of ,,crs2 and 7,b7 include in the ,,crs ,report the following written statement3 ,this document was prepared by the ,congressional ,research ,service 7,,crs74 ,,crs serves as nonpartisan shared staff to congressional committees and ,members of ,congress4 ,it operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of ,congress4 ,information in a ,,crs ,report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has been provided by ,,crs to ,members of ,congress in connection with ,,crs's institutional role4 ,,crs ,reports1 as a work of the ,united ,states ,government1 are not subject to copyright protection in the ,united ,states4 ,any ,,crs ,report may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from ,,crs4 ,however1 as this ,,crs ,report may include copyrighted images or material from a third party1 you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material44 7b7 ,specific requirements for index on ,website ,the ,,gpo ,director shall ensure that the index of all ,,crs ,reports published on the ,website is-- 7#a7 comprehensive2 7#b7 contemporaneously updated2 7#c7 searchable2 7#d7 sortable2 7#e7 maintained in a human-readable format2 7#f7 maintained in a structured data format2 7#g7 downloadable2 and 7#h7 inclusive of each item of information described in subsection 7a77#a7 with respect to each ,,crs ,report4 #e4 ,conforming amendment to duties of ,,crs ,section #bjc7;d7 of the ,legislative ,reorganization ,act of #aidf 7#b ,u4,s4,c4 #aff7;d77 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking and at the end of paragraph 7#g72 7#b7 by striking the period at the end of paragraph 7#h7 and inserting 2 and2 and 7#c7 by adding at the end the following new paragraph3 7#i7 to comply with the requirements of1 and provide information and technological assistance consistent with1 the ,equal ,access to ,congressional ,research ,service ,reports ,act of #bjaf4 4 #f4 ,rules of construction 7a7 ,no effect on speech or debate clause ,nothing in this ,act may be construed to diminish1 qualify1 condition1 waive1 or otherwise affect the applicability of clause #a of section #f of article ,i of the ,constitution of the ,united ,states 7commonly known as the ,speech or ,debate ,clause7 or any other privilege available to ,congress or ,members1 offices1 or employees of ,congress with respect to any ,,crs ,report made available online under this ,act4 7b7 ,confidential communications ,nothing in this ,act may be construed to waive the requirement that any confidential communication by ,,crs to a ,member1 office1 or committee of ,congress shall remain under the custody and control of ,congress and may be released only by ,congress and its ,houses1 ,members1 offices1 and committees1 in accordance with the rules and privileges of each ,house and the requirements of this ,act4 7c7 ,dissemination of ,,crs products ,nothing in this ,act may be construed to limit or otherwise affect the ability of a ,member1 office1 or committee of ,congress to disseminate ,,crs products on a website of the ,member1 office1 or committee or to otherwise provide ,,crs products to the public1 including as part of constituent service activities4 #g4 ,effective date 7a7 ,in general ,except as provided in subsection 7b71 this ,act and the amendments made by this ,act shall take effect #ij days after the date on which the ,,gpo ,director submits the certification described in subsection 7b77#b74 7b7 ,provision of information and technology 7#a7 ,,crs deadline ,not later than #ij days after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,,crs ,director shall provide the ,,gpo ,director with the information and technology necessary for the ,,gpo ,director to begin the initial operation of the ,website4 7#b7 ,certification ,upon provision of the information and technology described in paragraph 7#a71 the ,,gpo ,director shall submit to ,congress a certification that the ,,crs ,director has provided the information and technology necessary for the ,,gpo ,director to begin the initial operation of the ,website4