The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a bill that will require free online access to publications of research supported by NIH. The provision is part of the appropriations bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education, and it mandates that NIH provide public access to research findings within 12 months of publication. Similar language appears in the appropriations bill to be considered by the Senate later this summer.
In a press release from the Alliance for Taxpayer Access, advocates characterize this action as a "major advance for scientific communication." However, the move is not without its critics, including the Association of American Publishers who opposed the legislation.
A related article on the legislation appears in the July 24 edition of Inside Higher Ed.