The DATA Act just passed the Senate. Here’s why that matters.

The Switch reports The DATA Act just passed the Senate. Here’s why that matters.

"'The DATA Act takes a structured data model that has delivered unprecedented accountability in stimulus expenditures and applies it across all domains of federal spending,' says Data Transparency Coalition Executive Director Hudson Hollister, who drafted the initial version of the DATA Act in 2011. 'The DATA Act will turn federal spending information into open spending data – a valuable new public resource that strengthens democratic accountability and spurs innovation.'"

"The final language also requires everything the federal government spends at the appropriations account level to be published on USASpending.gov, with the exception of classified material and information that wouldn't be revealed in response to a Freedom of Information Request. One amendment, added earlier Thursday, gives the Department of Defense the option to request extensions on its implementation of the bill's requirements."