Notes on the Public Access to Public Science Act

• This page is part of the Harvard Open Access Project (HOAP).
• Suggested short URL for this page = bit.ly/hoap-fastr
• Also see our Notes on the Fair Access to Science and Technology Research Act (FASTR).

PAPS provisions

• PAPS requires federal research-funding agencies to develop public-access policies (Section 2.a).

• PAPS requires that agency policies
  • be consistent with copyright law (2.a).
  • "allow the public to read, download, and analyze by machine covered works in digital form" (2.b.1)
  • "facilitate easy public search of, analysis of, and access to covered works" (2.b.2)
  • "encourage public-private collaboration to (A) maximize the potential for interoperability between public and private platforms; (B) avoid unnecessary duplication of existing mechanisms; and (C) maximize the impact of the covered agency’s research investment" (2.b.3)
  • "ensure that attribution to authors, journals, and original publishers is maintained" (2.b.4)
  • "ensure that publications and metadata are stored in an archive that — (A) provides for long-term preservation and access to full content of the covered work without charge, where appropriate, and balancing cost and public value; (B) uses a standard, widely available, and, to the extent possible, nonproprietary archival format for text and associated content, including images, video, and supporting data; (C) provides access for persons with disabilities consistent with section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d); and (D) enables integration and interoperability with other public access repositories" (2.b.5)
  • "ensure full public access to covered works’ metadata without charge upon first publication in a data format that ensures interoperability with current and anticipated future search technology. Where possible, the metadata shall provide a link

16 to the location where the full text and associated supplemental materials will be made available at the end of the applicable embargo period" (2.c)

• PAPS mandates "public access" (2.a, 2.b, 2.c) without defining the term.

• See the text of the bill from the office of Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, one of the co-sponsors in the House.
  • Also see Sensenbrenner's September 19, 2013 press release announcing the introduction of the bill.

PAPS in the 113th Congress

• PAPS in the House (HR ___ )
  • Introduced September 19, 2013 by Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX).

• PAPS has not been introduced in the Senate.