S. 2639: Equal Access to Congressional Research Service Reports Act of 2016

114th Congress · introduced 2016-03-03 · Congress · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S1279-1281)

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Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2016-03-03 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Leahy, Patrick J. [D-VT] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S1279-1281) Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Equal Access to Congressional Research Service Reports Act of 2016

Plain summary

Equal Access to Congressional Research Service Reports Act of 2016 This bill directs the Government Publishing Office (GPO) to establish and maintain a public website containing Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports, and an index, that are searchable, sortable, and downloadable (including in bulk), for which no fee may be charged. The CRS Reports on the website shall include CRS Authorization of Appropriations Products, Appropriations Products, and any other written CRS product containing CRS research or analysis available for general congressional access on the CRS Congressional Intranet. The website shall exclude any: custom product or service prepared in direct response to a request for custom analysis or research and not available for general congressional access on the CRS Congressional Intranet; CRS Reports, Authorization of Appropriations Products, or Appropriations Products not so available; or written CRS products that CRS has made available on a public website (besides this website) maintained by the GPO or the Library of Congress. The GPO shall ensure that the website is updated contemporaneously, automatically, and electronically to include each new or updated CRS Report. Before transmitting a CRS Report to the GPO for publication on the website, CRS may remove the name of, and any contact information for, any CRS employee. The Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 is amended to require CRS to comply with this Act.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Equal Access to Congressional Research Service Reports Act of 2016

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Leahy, Patrick J. [D-VT] · 5 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Jerry Moran (R-KS), John Cornyn (R-TX), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (3)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114s2639.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/s>

Record fed-us-cong114-s2639 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114