,,ii  #aah? ,,congress  #a/ ,session    
,s4 #hce  ,,9 ,,! ,,s5ate ,,( ,,!       
,,unit$ ,,/ates  ,m>* #af1 #bjbc,mr4    
,coons 7= himself1 ,mr4 ,cornyn1 ,mr4   
,tillis1 & ,mr4 ,:iteh\se7 introduc$ !  
foll[+ bill2 :i* 0 read twice & ref]r$  
to ! ,committee on ! ,judici>y  ,a      
,,bill  ,to am5d title #ag1 ,unit$      
,/ates ,code1 to reaffirm ! importance  
(1 & include requirem5ts =1 works       
incorporat$ by ref]5ce into law1 & = o!r
 purposes4  #a4 ,%ort title ,?is ,act   
may be cit$ z ! ,protect+ & ,enhanc+    
,public ,access to ,codes ,act or ! ,pro
 ,codes ,act4  #b4 ,f9d+s ,congress f9ds
 ! foll[+3 7#a7 ,congress1 ! executive  
bran*1 & ,/ate & local gov]nm5ts h long 
recogniz$ t ! p ( ! ,unit$ ,/ates b5efit
 greatly f ! "w ( private /&>ds         
developm5t organizations ) exp]tise 9   
highly specializ$ areas4  7#b7 ,!       
organizations describ$ 9 p>agraph 7#a7  
create te*nical /&>ds & volunt>y        
cons5sus /&>ds ?r\gh a process requir+  
op5ness1 balance1 cons5sus1 & due       

process to ensure all int]e/$ p>ties h  
an opportunity to p>ticipate 9 /&>ds    
developm5t4  7#c7 ,! /&>ds t result f ! 
process describ$ 9 p>agraph 7#b7 are us$
 by private indu/ry1 academia1 ! ,f$]al 
,gov]nm5t1 & ,/ate & local gov]nm5ts t  
incorporate ^? /&>ds by ref]5ce into    
laws & regulations4  7#d7 ,! /&>ds      
describ$ 9 p>agraph 7#c7 fur!r          
innovation1 comm]ce1 & public safety1   
all )\t co/ to gov]nm5ts or taxpay]s    
because /&>ds developm5t organizations  
fund ! process describ$ 9 p>agraph 7#b7 
?r\gh ! sale & lic5s+ ( _! /&>ds4  7#e7 
,congress & ! executive bran* h         
repeat$ly decl>$ t1 :]ev] possible1     
gov]nm5ts %\ld rely on volunt>y cons5sus
 /&>ds & h set =? policies & proc$ures  
by :i* ^? /&>ds are incorporat$ by      
ref]5ce into laws & regulations & t     
balance ! int]e/s ( access ) protection 
= copyright4  7#f7 ,circul> ,a-#aai ( ! 
,(fice ( ,managem5t & ,budget entitl$   
,f$]al ,p>ticipation 9 ! ,developm5t &  
,use ( ,volunt>y ,cons5sus ,/&>ds & 9   

,con=mity ,assessm5t ,activities1 issu$ 
9 revis$ =m on ,janu>y #bg1 #bjaf1      
recognizes ! b5efits ( volunt>y cons5sus
 /&>ds & incorporation by ref]5ce1 /at+ 
t if a /&>d is us$ & publi%$ 9 an ag5cy 
docum5t1 y\r ag5cy mu/ obs]ve & protect 
! rights ( ! copyright hold] & meet any 
o!r simil> obligations44  7#g7 ,f$]al   
ag5cies h reli$ ext5sively on !         
incorporation by ref]5ce sy/em to       
lev]age ! value ( te*nical /&>ds &      
volunt>y cons5sus /&>ds = ! b5efit ( !  
public1 result+ 9 m ?an #bc1jjj sections
 9 ! ,code ( ,f$]al ,regulations t      
incorporate by ref]5ce te*nical &       
volunt>y cons5sus /&>ds4  7#h7 ,/ate &  
local gov]nm5ts h also recogniz$ t      
te*nical /&>ds & volunt>y cons5sus /&>ds
 are critical to protect+ public heal? &
 safety1 :i* has result$ 9 _m su*       
gov]nm5ts-- 7,a7 incorporat+ ^? /&>ds by
 ref]5ce into _! laws & regulations2 or 
7,b7 ent]+ into lic5se agreem5ts ) /&>ds
 developm5t organizations to use ! /&>ds
 creat$ by ^? organizations4  7#i7      

,/&>ds developm5t organizations rely on 
copyright protection to g5]ate ! rev5ues
 necess>y to fund ! volunt>y cons5sus   
process & to cont9ue creat+ & updat+ ^! 
important /&>ds4  7#aj7 ,! p ( ! ,unit$ 
,/ates h a /rong int]e/ 9-- 7,a7 ensur+ 
t /&>ds developm5t organizations cont9ue
 to utilize a volunt>y cons5sus         
process-- 7i7 9 :i* all int]e/$ p>ties c
 p>ticipate2 &  7ii7 t cont9ues to      
create & update /&>ds 9 a timely mann]  
to-- 7,i7 acc\nt = te*nological         
advances2  7,,ii7 address new ?reats to 
public heal? & safety2 &  7,,iii7       
improve ! usefulness ( ^? /&>ds2 &  7,b7
 ! provision ( access t all[s p to read 
te*nical & volunt>y cons5sus /&>ds t are
 incorporat$ by ref]5ce into laws &     
regulations4  7#aa7 ,z ( ! date (       
enactm5t ( ?is ,act1 _m /&>ds developm5t
 organizations make _! /&>ds available  
to ! public free ( *>ge onl9e 9 a mann] 
t does n sub/antially disrupt ! ability 
( ^? organizations to e>n rev5ue f !    
indu/ries & pr(essionals t pur*ase      

copies & subscription-access to ^? /&>ds
 7su* z ?r\gh read-only access71 :i*    
ensures t ! public may read ! curr5t1   
accurate v]sion ( su* a /&>d )\t        
significantly int]f]+ ) ! rev5ue model t
 has long support$ ^? organizations & _!
 creation (1 & inve/m5t 91 new /&>ds4   
7#ab7 ,?r\gh ?is ,act1 & ! am5dm5ts made
 by ?is ,act1 ,congress int5ds to       
balance ! goals ( fur!r+ ! creation (   
/&>ds & ensur+ public access to /&>ds t 
are incorporat$ by ref]5ce into law or  
regulation4  #c4 ,works incorporat$ by  
ref]5ce into law  7a7 ,9 g5]al ,*apt] #a
 ( title #ag1 ,unit$ ,/ates ,code1 is   
am5d$ by add+ at ! end ! foll[+3  #abc4 
,works incorporat$ by ref]5ce into law  
7a7 ,def9itions ,9 ?is section3 7#a7    
,circul> ,a-#aai ,! t]m ,circul> ,a-#aai
 means ,circul> ,a-#aai ( ! ,(fice (    
,managem5t & ,budget entitl$ ,f$]al     
,p>ticipation 9 ! ,developm5t & ,use (  
,volunt>y ,cons5sus ,/&>ds & 9 ,con=mity
 ,assessm5t ,activities1 issu$ 9 revis$ 
=m on ,janu>y #bg1 #bjaf4  7#b7         

,incorporat$ by ref]5ce  7,a7 ,9 g5]al  
,! t]m incorporat$ by ref]5ce means1 )  
respect to a /&>d1 t ! text ( a ,f$]al1 
,/ate1 local1 or municipal law or       
regulation-- 7i7 ref]5ces all or "p ( ! 
/&>d2 &  7ii7 does n copy ! text ( t    
/&>d directly into t law or regulation4 
7,b7 ,application ,! creation or        
publication ( a "w t includes bo? ! text
 ( a law or regulation & all or "p ( a  
/&>d t has be5 incorporat$ by ref]5ce1 z
 describ$ 9 subp>agraph 7,a71 %all n    
affect ! /atus ( ! /&>d z incorporat$ by
 ref]5ce "u t subp>agraph4  7#c7 ,/&>d  
,! t]m /&>d means a /&>d or code t is-- 
7,a7 a te*nical /&>d1 z t t]m is def9$ 9
 section #ab7;d7 ( ! ,national          
,te*nology ,transf] & ,advancem5t ,act (
 #aiie 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4 #bgb note72 or    
7,b7 a volunt>y cons5sus /&>d1 z t t]m  
is us$ = ! purposes ( ,circul> ,a-#aai4 
7#d7 ,/&>ds developm5t organization ,!  
t]m /&>ds developm5t organization means 
a hold] ( a copyright "u ?is title t    
plans1 develops1 e/abli%es1 or          

coord9ates volunt>y cons5sus /&>ds us+  
proc$ures t incorporate ! attributes (  
op5ness1 balance ( int]e/s1 due process1
 an appeals process1 & cons5sus 9 a     
mann] consi/5t ) ! requirem5ts (        
,circul> ,a-#aai4  7#e7 ,publicly       
accessible onl9e  7,a7 ,9 g5]al ,! t]m  
publicly accessible onl9e1 ) respect to 
mat]ial1 means t ! mat]ial is display$ =
 review 9 a readily accessible mann] on 
a public website4  7,b7 ,rule (         
con/ruction ,if a us] is requir$ to     
create an acc\nt or agree to ! t]ms (   
s]vice ( a website or organization 9    
ord] to access mat]ial onl9e1 t         
requirem5t %all n be con/ru$ to r5d] !  
mat]ial n publicly accessible onl9e = ! 
purposes ( subp>agraph 7,a71 if !re is  
no monet>y co/ to ! us] to access t     
mat]ial4  7b7 ,/&>ds incorporat$ by     
ref]5ce into law or regulation ,a /&>d  
to :i* copyright protection subsi/s "u  
section #ajb7;a7 at ! "t ( its fixation 
%all reta9 su* protection1 not)/&+ t !  
/&>d is incorporat$ by ref]5ce1 if !    

applicable /&>ds developm5t             
organization1 )9 a reasonable p]iod ( "t
 aft] obta9+ actual or con/ructive      
notice t ! /&>d has be5 incorporat$ by  
ref]5ce1 makes all portions ( ! /&>d s  
incorporat$ publicly accessible onl9e at
 no monet>y co/4  7c7 ,burd5 ( pro( ,9  
any proce$+ 9 :i* a p>ty ass]ts t a     
/&>ds developm5t organization has fail$ 
to comply ) ! requirem5ts "u subsection 
7b7 = reta9+ copyright protection )     
respect to a /&>d1 ! burd5 ( pro( %all  
be on ! p>ty mak+ t ass]tion to prove t 
! /&>ds developm5t organization has     
fail$ to comply ) ^? requirem5ts4  4    
7b7 ,te*nical & con=m+ am5dm5t ,! table 
( sections = *apt] #a ( title #ag1      
,unit$ ,/ates ,code1 is am5d$ by add+ at
 ! end ! foll[+3  #abc4 ,works          
incorporat$ by ref]5ce into law4  4