Dive Brief:

• The federal government is pushing forward with the DATA Act, which would provide a new framework for government open data.

• The bill mandates a comprehensive system for making government spending data available to anyone who wants it.

• The DATA Act seeks to make federal spending data "standardized, reliable and accessible to the public" by May 2017.

Dive Insight:

Christina Ho, deputy assistant secretary for accounting policy and financial transparency at the Treasury Department, said the common data standards for the system are nearly complete.

"That is a really big accomplishment," Ho said. "Now that the work on data standard is done, all eyes are on implementation."

Ho said Treasury Department and OMB officials are currently in the process of developing guidance for agencies.

"It's a big culture change," Ho said. "Any time that you're trying to transform something it's a significant change-management challenge."

Many state governments are also pushing for open data. California is currently considering SB 573, a bill that would require California to adopt an open data policy and appoint a Chief Data Officer. And on Wednesday, California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris announced the launch of OpenJustice, a criminal justice open data initiative.