Statement on GAO’s OPEN Government Data Act Progress Report

Washington, D.C. – Data Coalition Chief Executive Officer Nick Hart, Ph.D. issued the following statement on the Government Accountability Office's report assessing the progress of federal agency implementation of the OPEN Government Data Act, released October 8, 2020: 

The White House’s lack of prioritization for implementing the OPEN Government Data Act is exceedingly disappointing. Nearly two years after enactment of a milestone open data law intended to support transparency and accountability of our government, the Office of Management and Budget has failed to issue implementation guidance. The Data Coalition calls on OMB to address GAO’s recommendations, specifically issuing guidance to provide agencies meaningful direction for ensuring inventories of government data assets are timely, comprehensive, and useful. In the interim, the Data Coalition encourages all federal agencies to continue promising efforts to implement the OPEN Government Data Act, supporting the new chief data officers, sharing and updating data inventories, and increasing the prevalence of open data provided to the American public.