[A2k] Release from Alliance for Taxpayer Access: Consumer Groups Support Public Access Act

[Manon Ress]

Alliance for Taxpayer Access | www.taxpayeraccess.org

For Immediate Release
July 31, 2006

Consumer Groups Support Public Access Act
Consumers Union, Consumer Project on Technology and others support bill
requiring key federal funders to post research on the Internet

WASHINGTON, DC =96 Eight consumer groups have announced their support
for the Federal Research Public Access Act of 2006 (S.2695). The Act
was introduced on May 2, 2006 by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and
Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) and requires federal agencies that fund over
$100 million in annual external research to make electronic
manuscripts of peer-reviewed journal articles that stem from that
research publicly available via the Internet. Consumer groups add
their voices to those of universities, libraries, researchers,
publishers, and patients =96 together representing thousands of
individuals and institutions =96 that support the bill.

=93It=92s gratifying to have the support of organizations that represent
consumer interests and rights, especially in the realm of information
and technology,=94 said Heather Joseph, Executive Director of SPARC
(the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Research Coalition, an ATA
founding member). =93We all share a belief in the advancement of
science for the public interest.=94

The Consumers Union, the non-profit publisher of Consumer Reports,
and Consumer Project on Technology (CPTech), are joined by the
Electronic Frontier Foundation, Essential Action, IP Justice, Public
Knowledge, U.S. Public Interest Research Group, and Union for the
Public Domain in pledging their support and applauding the Federal
Research Public Access Act of 2006.

=93Technology has opened the door to the sharing of knowledge,=94 said
Manon Ress of the Consumer Project on Technology. =93The Public Access
Act constitutes a major step toward using the barrier-free potential
of the Internet to provide all stakeholders in the scientific
enterprise =96 including the public =96 access to critical information.=94

The Alliance for Taxpayer Access encourages taxpayers and discrete
stakeholders in the scientific process to add their support for this
important legislation. Details are online at http://
www.taxpayeraccess.org.

For more information:

Consumers Union - http://www.hearusnow.org/digitalcontent/
Alliance for Taxpayer Access - http://www.taxpayeraccess.org/frpaa/
publicinterestletter.pdf

Contact:
Jennifer Heffelfinger
jennifer@arl.org
(202) 296-2296 ext.121

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The Alliance for Taxpayer Access is a coalition of patient, academic,
research, and publishing entities that support expanded access to the
results of federally funded research. The Alliance was formed in 2004
to urge that peer-reviewed articles on taxpayer-funded research
become fully accessible and available online at no extra cost to the
American public. Details on the ATA may be found at http://
www.taxpayeraccess.org.

-------------------------------------
Jennifer Heffelfinger
Communications Manager
SPARC
jennifer@arl.org
(202) 296-2296 x121
Fax: (202) 872-0884
www.arl.org/sparc