[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 21 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. RES. 21
Directing the Sergeant-at-Arms to provide Internet access to certain
Congressional documents, including certain Congressional Research
Service publications, Senate lobbying and gift report filings, and
Senate and Joint Committee documents.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 14, 2001
Mr. McCain (for himself, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Lott, and Mr. Lieberman)
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee
on Rules and Administration
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Directing the Sergeant-at-Arms to provide Internet access to certain
Congressional documents, including certain Congressional Research
Service publications, Senate lobbying and gift report filings, and
Senate and Joint Committee documents.
Whereas it is the sense of the Senate that--
(1) it is often burdensome, difficult, and time-consuming
for citizens to obtain access to public records of the United
States Congress;
(2) congressional documents that are placed in the
Congressional Record are made available to the public
electronically by the Superintendent of Documents under the
direction of the Public Printer;
(3) other congressional documents are also made available
electronically on websites maintained by Members of Congress
and Committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives;
(4) a wide range of public records of the Congress remain
inaccessible to the public;
(5) the public should have easy and timely access,
including electronic access, to public records of the Congress;
(6) the Congress should use new technologies to enhance
public access to public records of the Congress; and
(7) an informed electorate is the most precious asset of
any democracy; and
Whereas it is the sense of the Senate that it will foster democracy--
(1) to ensure public access to public records of the
Congress;
(2) to improve public access to public records of the
Congress; and
(3) to enhance the electronic public access, including
access via the Internet, to public records of the Congress:
Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate shall make
information available to the public in accordance with the provisions
of this resolution.
SEC. 2. AVAILABILITY OF CERTAIN CRS INFORMATION.
(a) Availability of Information.--
(1) In general.--The Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate, in
consultation with the Director of the Congressional Research
Service, shall make available through a centralized electronic
database, for purposes of access and retrieval by the public
under section 4 of this resolution, all information described
in paragraph (2) that is available through the Congressional
Research Service website.
(2) Information to be made available.--The information to
be made available under paragraph (1) is:
(A) Congressional Research Service Issue Briefs.
(B) Congressional Research Service Reports that are
available to Members of Congress through the
Congressional Research Service website.
(C) Congressional Research Service Authorization of
Appropriations Products and Appropriations Products.
(b) Limitations.--
(1) Confidential information.--Subsection (a) does not
apply to--
(A) any information that is confidential, as
determined by--
(i) the Director; or
(ii) the head of a Federal department or
agency that provided the information to the
Congressional Research Service; or
(B) any documents that are the product of an
individual, office, or committee research request
(other than a document described in subsection (a)(2)).
(2) Redaction and revision.--In carrying out this section,
the Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate, in consultation with the
Director of the Congressional Research Service, may--
(A) remove from the information required to be made
available under subsection (a) the name and phone
number of, and any other information regarding, an
employee of the Congressional Research Service;
(B) remove from the information required to be made
available under subsection (a) any material for which
the Director determines that making it available under
subsection (a) may infringe the copyright of a work protected under
title 17, United States Code; and
(C) make any changes in the information required to
be made available under subsection (a) that the
Director determines necessary to ensure that the
information is accurate and current.
(c) Manner.--The Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate, in consultation
with the Director of the Congressional Research Service, shall make
information required to be made available under this section in a
manner that--
(1) is practical and reasonable; and
(2) does not permit the submission of comments from the
public.
SEC. 3. PUBLIC RECORDS OF THE CONGRESS.
(a) Senate.--The Secretary of the Senate, through the Office of
Public Records and in accordance with such standards as the Secretary
may prescribe, shall make available on the Internet for purposes of
access and retrieval by the public:
(1) Lobbyist disclosure reports.--Lobbyist disclosure
reports required by the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 (2
U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) within 90 days (Saturdays, Sundays, and
holidays excepted) after they are received.
(2) Gift rule disclosure reports.--Senate gift rule
disclosure reports required under paragraph 2 and paragraph
4(b) of rule XXXV of the Standing Rules of the Senate within 5
days (Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays excepted) after they are
received.
(b) Directory.--The Superintendent of Documents, under the
Direction of the Public Printer in the Government Printing Office,
shall include information about the documents made available on the
Internet under this section in the electronic directory of Federal
electronic information required by section 4101(a)(1) of title 44,
United States Code.
SEC. 4. METHOD OF ACCESS.
(a) In General.--The information required to be made available to
the public on the Internet under this resolution shall be made
available as follows:
(1) CRS information.--Public access to information made
available under section 2 shall be provided through the
websites maintained by Members and Committees of the Senate.
(2) Public records.--Public access to information made
available under section 3 by the Secretary of the Senate's
Office of Public Records shall be provided through the United
States Senate website.
(b) Editorial Responsibility for CRS Reports Online.--The Sergeant-
at-Arms of the Senate is responsible for maintaining and updating the
information made available on the Internet under section 2.
SEC. 5. CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEE MATERIALS.
It is the sense of the Senate that each standing and special
Committee of the Senate and each Joint Committee of the Congress, in
accordance with such rules as the committee may adopt, should provide
access via the Internet to publicly-available committee information,
documents, and proceedings, including bills, reports, and transcripts
of committee meetings that are open to the public.
SEC. 6. IMPLEMENTATION.
The Sergeant-at-Arms of the Senate shall establish the database
described in section 2(a) within 6 months after the date of adoption of
this resolution.
SEC. 7. GAO STUDY.
(a) In General.--Beginning 1 year after the date on which the
database described in section 2(a) is established, the Sergeant-at-Arms
shall request the Comptroller General to examine the cost of
implementing this resolution, other than this section, with particular
attention to the cost of establishing and maintaining the database and
submit a report within 6 months thereafter. The Sergeant-at-Arms shall
ask the Comptroller General to include in the report recommendations on
how to make operations under this resolution more cost-effective, and
such other recommendations for administrative changes or changes in
law, as the Comptroller General may determine to be appropriate.
(b) Delivery.--The Sergeant-at-Arms shall transmit a copy of the
Comptroller General's report under subsection (a) to:
(1) The Senate Committee on Rules and Administration.
(2) The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation.
(3) The Senate Committee on the Judiciary.
(4) The Joint Committee of the Congress on the Library of
Congress.
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