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July 31, 2013

U.S. Code Available in Bulk XML

Filed under: Government,Law,Law - Sources — Patrick Durusau @ 4:24 pm

House of Representatives Makes U.S. Code Available in Bulk XML.

From the press release:

As part of an ongoing effort to make Congress more open and transparent, House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) today announced that the House of Representatives is making the United States Code available for download in XML format.

The data is compiled, updated, and published by the Office of Law Revision Counsel (OLRC). You can download individual titles – or the full code in bulk – and read supporting documentation here.

“Providing free and open access to the U.S. Code in XML is another win for open government,” said Speaker Boehner and Leader Cantor. “And we want to thank the Office of Law Revision Counsel for all of their work to make this project a reality. Whether it’s our ‘read the bill’ reforms, streaming debates and committee hearings live online, or providing unprecedented access to legislative data, we’re keeping our pledge to make Congress more transparent and accountable to the people we serve.”

In 2011, Speaker Boehner and Leader Cantor called for the adoption of new electronic data standards to make legislative information more open and accessible. With those standards in place, the House created the Legislative Branch Bulk Data Task Force in 2012 to expedite the process of providing bulk access to legislative information and to increase transparency for the American people.

Since then, the Government Printing Office (GPO) has begun providing bulk access to House legislation in XML. The Office of the Clerk makes full sessions of House floor summaries available in bulk as well.

The XML version of the U.S. Code will be updated quickly, on an ongoing basis, as new laws are enacted.

You can see a full list of open government projects underway in the House at speaker.gov/open.

While applauding Congress, don’t forget Legal Information Institute at Cornell University Law School has been working on free access to public law for the past twenty-one (21) years.

I first saw this at: U.S. House of Representatives Makes U.S. Code Available in Bulk XML.

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