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H.R. 1247House119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

WISE Government Act

To secure Federal access to scientific literature and other subscription services by requiring Federal agencies and legislative branch research arms to make recommendations on increasing agency library access to serials, and for other purposes.

Also known as Well-Informed, Scientific, & Efficient Government Act of 2025

Sponsored by Bill FosterRep. Bill Foster (D-IL)
Introduced February 12, 2025

AI-Generated Summary

Updated November 24, 2025 at 2:45 AM UTC

The WISE Government Act aims to improve federal access to scientific journals and other subscription services. It stops agencies from keeping subscription costs secret, requires them to publicly share how employees can use library resources, and mandates a comprehensive report on how to expand and streamline access across the government.

Key Provisions

  • Agency heads cannot sign journal‑subscription contracts that hide the subscription cost from other agencies or the Library of Congress.
  • Within six months, each agency must post on its intranet a clear policy explaining how employees can use the agency’s library subscriptions.
  • Within twelve months, the Administrator of General Services, working with the Library of Congress and other stakeholders, must deliver a report to Congress and agency libraries that surveys current subscriptions and costs, identifies problems (such as contract restrictions, new publishing formats, regional access, purchasing inefficiencies, and pricing), and offers short‑ and long‑term solutions, including more inter‑agency transparency and new purchasing models.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action
HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Oversight and Government Reform Committee

February 12, 2025

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

February 12, 2025

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Oversight and Government Reform Committee

February 12, 2025

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued February 12, 2025

I

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 1247

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 12, 2025

Mr. Foster (for himself, Mr. Takano, Mr. Quigley, and Ms. Norton) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

A BILL

To secure Federal access to scientific literature and other subscription services by requiring Federal agencies and legislative branch research arms to make recommendations on increasing agency library access to serials, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Well-Informed, Scientific, & Efficient Government Act of 2025 or the WISE Government Act.

2.

Agency journal subscriptions

(a)

Prohibition on nondisclosure provision for journal subscriptions

The head of an agency may not enter into any contract for a journal subscription that prohibits disclosure of the cost of the subscription to another agency or the Library of Congress.

(b)

Employee access to library subscriptions

Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the head of each agency shall require that each library of the agency make easily and clearly available to the employees of the agency, including regional employees, through the intranet any policy or procedure for employee access to a subscription of the library.

(c)

Report on increasing access to serials

Not later than 12 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in consultation with the Library of Congress, the applicable agency libraries, and other relevant stakeholders (including the Defense Technical Information Center, the National Library of Medicine, the Education Resources Information Center, and the National Technical Information Service) shall submit to Congress and each agency library a report on increasing agency library access to serials that includes—

(1)

a survey of subscriptions purchased and cost data for applicable agency libraries and the Library of Congress;

(2)

an outline of any issues with agency access to scientific serials and subscriptions, which may include contract issues, concerns arising with new publishing media (including print, online, and aggregated services), the ability of agency employees to use agency library subscriptions in headquarters and regional offices, purchasing system inefficiencies, and price concerns; and

(3)

recommendations on addressing issues, including short-term and long-term solutions and assessing the potential need for greater interagency transparency and new purchasing models.

(d)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

Administrator

The term Administrator means the Administrator of General Services.

(2)

Agency

The term agency has the meaning given that term in section 551 of title 5, United States Code.

(3)

Applicable agency library

The term applicable agency library means the libraries of—

(A)

the Executive departments listed in section 101 of title 5, United States Code;

(B)

the military departments listed in section 102 of title 5, United States Code; and

(C)

any agency with a scientific focus, including the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

(4)

Director

The term Director means the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

(e)

Rule of construction

Nothing in this section may be construed as requiring the disclosure of matters that are otherwise not subject to disclosure under section 552(b) of title 5, United States Code (commonly referred to as the Freedom of Information Act).