[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 64 (Wednesday, April 29, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S4900]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     SENATE RESOLUTION 118--TO PROVIDE INTERNET ACCESS TO CERTAIN 
              CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE PUBLICATIONS

  Mr. LIEBERMAN (for himself, Mr. McCain, Mr. Harkin, Ms. Collins, Mr. 
Leahy, Mr. Lugar, and Mr. Feingold) submitted the following resolution; 
which was referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration:

                              S. Res. 118

       Resolved,

     SECTION 1. PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION.

       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 CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH 
                   SERVICE 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 system, for purposes of access and retrieval by 
     the public under section 3 of this resolution--
       (A) all information described in paragraph (2) that is 
     available through the Congressional Research Service website; 
     and
       (B) an index of 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 the following:
       (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 of the Congressional Research Service; 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 of the Congressional Research Service, determines 
     that making that material 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 of the 
     Congressional Research Service, 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 the information required under this 
     section available in a manner that is practical and 
     reasonable.

     SEC. 3. METHOD OF ACCESS.

       (a) CRS Information.--Public access to Congressional 
     Research Service information made available under section 2 
     shall be provided through the websites maintained by Members 
     and Committees of the Senate. The Sergeant-at-Arms shall 
     ensure that the websites maintained by Members and Committees 
     of the Senate provide the same capability to find information 
     made available under section 2 as the Congressional Research 
     Service 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. 4. 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.

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