Congressional Research Service - Public Access To CRS Reports

Public Access To CRS Reports

While CRS products are already available electronically to members of Congress, Congressional committees, and CRS's sister agencies (CBO and GAO) through the internal CRS Web system, there is no official public access, except in certain circumstances. For example, specifically identified individual products have been furnished to executive and judicial branch officials and employees, and state and local government officials. Products have been distributed when it has been deemed to enhance CRS service to Congress. Products have also been furnished to members of the media and foreign embassies on request, but only if the requester can make specific reference to the product number or title of the report. On occasion, CRS researchers have provided reports to non-congressional sources including individual researchers, corporations, law offices, private associations, libraries, law firms, and publishers.

Only Members and their staffs can place requests and attend most seminars. While some CRS research and reports may reach the American public, dissemination is at the discretion of congressional clients, except as described above.

Many are available; sources are listed in the external links section below. As with other documents produced by the U. S. Government, the documents are in the public domain in the United States, and not subject to copyright.