An item in Fedblog at the Government Executive website notes that Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), who heads the Government Oversight and Reform panel which fostered the DATA Act to passage in the House of Representatives on April 26, 2012, noted that “it’s died in the Senate”. Technically, the Senate bill, sponsored by Mark Warner (D-VA) remains pending in the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee and no formal action has been scheduled. Due to its broad bipartisan support, passage was predicted for the DATA Act in both the House and Senate. It may simply be that the poison politics of an rough-and-tumble election year are getting in the way of its passage. If passed, the DATA Act will change the landscape of federal assistance reporting significantly affecting research institutions and research administrators as well as federal agencies.
