Equal Access to Congressional Research Service Reports Act of 2017

Equal Access to Congressional Research Service Reports Act of 2017

This bill directs the Government Publishing Office (GPO) to establish, maintain, and ensure the automatic updating of 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 that is available for general congressional access on the CRS Congressional Intranet.

The website shall exclude:

• any custom product or service that is prepared in direct response to a request for custom analysis or research and that is not available for general congressional access on the CRS Congressional Intranet;
• any CRS Report, Authorization of Appropriations Product, or Appropriations Product that is not available for general congressional access on the CRS Congressional Intranet; or
• any written CRS product that CRS has made available on a public website (other than the website established pursuant to this bill) maintained by the GPO or the Library of Congress.

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 bill.