Congress took another step toward improving the availability of evidence for important policy decisions by passing the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018. The legislation follows two years of growing support for evidence-based policymaking in the federal government.

In 2017, the U.S. Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking (CEP) issued its unanimous recommendations to improve how data are used to generate evidence about policies and programs in the federal government. Earlier in 2018, the President’s Management Agenda established a priority goal to leverage data as a strategic asset and the executive branch has taken steps to develop a long-term Federal Data Strategy. Congress also signaled its support for the increased use of evidence in policymaking, including a draft bill improving the use of evidence for drug policy and providing funding for “Pay For Success” grants, in addition to numerous provisions in a budget agreement in early 2018.

The legislation that passed this week includes key recommendations made by the Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking that will strengthen privacy protections, improve secure access to data, and enhance government’s evidence-building capacity.