H.R. 1247: To secure Federal access to scientific literature and other subscription services by requiring Federal agencies and legislative branch research arms to make recommendations on increasing agency library access to serials, and for other purposes.

The bill, titled the "Well-Informed, Scientific, & Efficient Government Act of 2025" or "WISE Government Act," aims to enhance access to scientific literature and subscription services for federal agencies. Below are the key provisions of the bill:

Prohibition on Nondisclosure

The heads of federal agencies are prohibited from signing contracts for journal subscriptions that prevent the disclosure of subscription costs to other agencies or the Library of Congress. This ensures transparency regarding costs associated with journal subscriptions.

Employee Access to Library Subscriptions

Within six months of the bill's enactment, each federal agency must require its library to provide clear and easy access to policies about how employees can access library subscriptions through the agency's intranet. This aims to improve employee awareness and access to available resources.

Report on Increasing Access to Serials

Within twelve months of the bill's enactment, the Administrator of General Services, in collaboration with the Library of Congress and other relevant stakeholders, must submit a report to Congress and agency libraries. This report will cover:

• A survey of subscriptions and their costs for applicable agency libraries and the Library of Congress.
• Details on challenges regarding access to scientific journals, including issues related to contracts, new publishing mediums, use of subscriptions in different offices, and pricing concerns.
• Recommendations for addressing the identified issues, including possible short-term and long-term solutions, and an assessment of the need for greater transparency and new purchasing models among agencies.

Definitions

The bill defines key terms, such as:

• Administrator: Refers to the Administrator of General Services.
• Agency: Refers to agencies as defined in U.S. Code.
• Applicable agency library: Includes libraries of executive departments, military departments, and agencies with a scientific focus, such as the Environmental Protection Agency and NASA.
• Director: Refers to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Rule of Construction

The bill clarifies that nothing in this section requires the disclosure of information that is not already subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

Relevant Companies

• GOOGL - Google, a major publisher of scientific articles and provider of research tools, could see operational changes due to increased access regulations.
• AMZN - Amazon, which provides a platform for many subscription-based services, might be affected by changes in how federal agencies purchase subscriptions and the associated costs.
• FLT - Fleetcor, which manages payment solutions for various services, could need to adapt to potential changes in federal agency subscription purchasing practices.