Data Coalition Testifies on Forthcoming OPEN Government Data Act

Hudson Hollister, Executive Director of the Data Coalition, testified before Congress this week regarding new legislation.

“The DATA Act of 2014, which Ranking Member Cummings, then-Chairman Issa, and
this Committee championed, makes open data the default for federal spending
information. But the DATA Act is limited to spending. It is time for Congress to affirm
that not just spending, but all federal information, everything that is legally public, should
be freely available and electronically searchable. Representatives Farenthold and Kilmer are introducing the OPEN Government Data Act to take that next step. The OPEN Government Data Act provides that all government information, unless it is legally restricted, should be published online, using machine-readable data formats….”

More open data empowers more oversight. (See here.)

Read his written testimony at https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Hollister-DC-Statement-Legislative-Proposals-for-Transparency-3-23.pdf

Watch the hearing of the House Oversight and Government reform Committee at https://oversight.house.gov/hearing/legislative-proposals-fostering-transparency/