New CRS Content Now Online

"Less than half a year ago, I announed that the Library of Congress is providing Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports to the public for the first time. Since the launch of the CRS reports website, crsreports.congress.gov, the Library has made available all new or updated reports. Created for Congress by experts in CRS, the reports present a legislative perspective on the full range of topics before the U.S. Congress. The reports are written to be timely, nonpartisan, authoritative and objective.

 

Since launching, we’ve added hundreds of new reports and are working hard to include the back catalog of older CRS reports – a process that is expected to be complete later this month. Today, you can access more than 2,300 reports on topics ranging from the Small Business Administration to farm policy. 

 

Starting this week, the Library is making additional product types available on the site. The site now includes In Focus products, which are two-page executive level briefing documents on a range of policy issues. For example, recent topics include military medical malpractice and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant. Another newly-added product type is the Insight, which provides short-form analysis on fast moving or more focused issues. Examples of topics include volcano early warning systems and Congressional Member Organizations. Users can filter by product type using the faceted search on the left hand of the search results page..."

Congressional Research Service

We did it! CRS reports will be public

[via ALA District Dispatch, March 28, 2018]
"After 20 years of advocacy by ALA, the public will soon have access to reports by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). A provision requiring public access to CRS reports was included in the omnibus appropriations law signed by the President on March 23.

Library supporters can celebrate this long-sought victory. ALA has advocated for online public access to CRS reports since Council adopted a resolution on the topic in 1998.
CRS is an agency, housed within the Library of Congress, that prepares public policy research for members of Congress, including nonconfidential reports about a range of policy topics. These reports have not been routinely published – meaning that taxpayers funded these reports, but were not generally able to read them.

However, soon this will change. The newly-enacted appropriations law for fiscal year 2018 includes a provision directing the Library of Congress to establish a public website for free access to CRS reports within 90 days.

ALA appreciates the leadership of the bipartisan group of champions who secured the inclusion of this important provision, including Reps. Kevin Yoder (R-KS), Tim Ryan (D-OH), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Leonard Lance (R-NJ), and Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and John McCain (R-AZ). This will enable libraries to provide their users with free, authentic copies of these useful public policy reports..."
Congressional Research Reports