President Obama signed the 2009 Consolidated Appropriations Act into law, which includes a provision making the NIH Public Access Policy permanent. View the press release.

Representative John Conyers, Jr., reintroduces the Fair Copyright in Research Works Act, H.R. 801, formerly H.R. 6845, in the 110^th Congress.

House Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property held a hearing to discuss H.R. 6845, the “Fair Copyrights in Research Works Act.” Watch the hearing.

Genetic Alliance writes to the House Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property, asking members to oppose H.R. 6845 and continue to support open and free access to federally-funded research. Read the letter.

Representative John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), Chairman of the House Committee on the Judiciary, introduced H.R. 6845, the “Fair Copyrights in Research Works Act” in the House of Representatives. The legislation would limit the NIH Public Access Policy. While the purpose of the NIH Public Access Policy is to provide the public and research community open and free access to federally-funded research, ensuring the value within that research is more widely distributed, authors and publishers raised concerns that the policy threatens the scientific and scholarly publishing communities and undermines copyright protections.

NIH requests comments from the public about the NIH Public Access Policy.

Genetic Alliance President, Sharon Terry, presents comments to NIH on open access policy.

President Bush signs mandatory NIH Public Access Policy into law.

Congress approves 2008 omnibus appropriations bill, which includes language directing NIH to implement a public access policy.

Genetic Alliance writes to the Senate to include language in Appropriations legislation on public access policy. Read the letter.

Genetic Alliance writes to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to direct NIH to implement a public access policy. Read the letter.

More than 50 medical and scientific nonprofit publishers offer a proposal to the National Institutes of Health’s Director. Read the full press release here.

Sharon Terry speaks with National Public Radio’s David Malakoff regarding open access to NIH publications. The segment, which aired on All Things Considered, is available online: NIH to Deliver Free Access to Research. A shorter segment (1:32), titled Government Program Opens Access to Scientific Studies, that aired on Morning Edition is also available.

NIH February press release announcing the new policy.