Panel with NYU Wagner's Dean inspires Congressional agreement on evidence-based policymaking

Is bipartisan law-making still possible on Capitol Hill?

Apparently so. Shortly before 2018 ended, the House of Representatives passed bipartisan, bicameral legislation that is designed to encourage policymaking based on data and evidence.

The Foundations for Evidence-based Policymaking Act (H.R. 4174) grew from a report by the Commission on Evidence-based Policymaking, whose members include Sherry Glied, the Dean of NYU Wagner and a nationally recognized health economist.

The bill, sponsored by former House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), is headed for President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature.

The legislation would require each federal agency to set up a chief data officer tasked with managing the agency's data assets and promoting how best to use them. It would also require federal agencies to look at how to enhance data privacy, including when personally identifiable information is involved.