S. 4500: Preserving Data in Government Act of 2020

116th Congress · introduced 2020-08-06 · Government Operations and Politics · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2020-08-06 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI] · 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 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. 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

Preserving Data in Government Act of 2020

Plain summary

Preserving Data in Government Act of 20 20 This bill requires federal agencies to preserve public access to existing open datasets and prevent the removal of existing datasets without public notice. Specifically, the bill requires that any open government data asset that is made available to the public for at least 90 consecutive days (1) remain machine-readable, available in an open format, and part of the worldwide public domain or, if necessary, be published with an open license; and (2) not be altered in such a way as to decrease its machine-readable nature. It shall not be a violation of such requirement to alter (1) the digital location or format of any open government data asset for routine asset maintenance or long-term archiving if such alteration does not decrease the open public accessibility or the machine-readable nature of the data, or (2) the contents of such data asset to update it or correct an error. Any substantial alteration of the data asset's contents shall be recorded in a log that is made available to the public. An agency may remove such data asset from public availability under specified circumstances, such as if the agency determines that the data asset is too costly to maintain or does not provide sufficient value to the public. This bill shall not apply to such data asset that is required to be removed from public availability or altered under another provision of law.

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.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Preserving Data in Government Act of 2020

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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Alternatives

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI] · 1 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI] reported raising $303,094 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

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 (1)

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-116s4500.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/116/s>

Record fed-us-cong116-s4500 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong116 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong116