OMB Releases Guidance for Phase 2 Implementation of Evidence Act

On January 15, 2025, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued OMB Memorandum M-25-05, “Phase 2 Implementation of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018: Open Data Access and Management.” This memorandum outlines a systematic approach to open data that will better facilitate data access, subject to appropriate safeguards for privacy, confidentiality, and security. Title II of the “Evidence Act” is the Open, Public, Electronic, and Necessary (OPEN) Government Data Act.

OMB M-25-05 addresses requirements in the OPEN Government Data Act related to agency data being open by default, maintenance of agency comprehensive data inventories, dissemination of agency data via the Federal Data Catalog, maintenance of agency open data plans, and agency engagement with the public. It also provides guidance on open data access and management under the OPEN Government Data Act.

NOTE:  With the launch of the new Trump Administration White House website, the OMB website is currently offline.  It is unknown when historical OMB memoranda will again be available for public viewing.