WASHINGTON–The Center for Data Innovation today welcomed the introduction of the Preserving Data in Government Act of 2017 by Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Cory Gardner (R-CO). The Center issued the following statement from Director Daniel Castro:
Government data underpins billions of dollars of economic activity. This legislation would create baseline standards for ensuring public access to previously released government data, while giving federal agencies the flexibility they need to efficiently manage information. By establishing these protections for existing data, Congress would provide confidence to businesses and investors that the U.S. government will not arbitrarily or capriciously cut off access to public data. Moreover, this bill will help ensure that taxpayers have unfettered access to the data they have paid for. We encourage Congress to swiftly take up this bill to ensure government data remains open and accessible.
