University of Colorado leaders are advocating for a legislative bill that, if passed by Congress, would make academic journals -- which have been soaring in cost -- more accessible.

The Federal Research Public Access Act of 2012 would require that taxpayer-funded manuscripts be made available to the public online at no cost and within six months of the article being published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Essentially, the legislation would expand the National Institutes of Health public access policy -- which already guarantees that research funded by the NIH will be accessible to the public -- to additional agencies, including departments of defense, agriculture, education, commerce, health and human services, homeland security and transportation. It would also apply to the Environmental Protection Agency, NASA and the National Science Foundation.

"The cost of journals has been increasing at an astronomical rate, especially in the sciences," said Deborah Fink, a spokeswoman for CU's libraries. "In the past, we've had to eliminate some of our journal subscriptions because the costs have been higher than our budget."

In 2011, CU's library system spent $10 million on collections. Of that, $7.5 million was spent on serials -- which are journals, magazine subscriptions and anything else that's issued at regular intervals. Electronic academic journals make up the bulk of the serial costs, Fink said.

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Carly Robinson, a fifth-year doctoral student studying atmospheric chemistry and also the CU Student Government vice president of internal affairs, said that the university's libraries work hard to make sure students have access to the research they need. But, she said, with the costs of academic journals increasing the school can't afford to purchase subscriptions to all of the necessary journals.

Robinson said taxpayers have already funded the research and students shouldn't be asked to buy it back from publishers who profit from it.

Graduate student leaders have lobbied in Washington this school year for passage of the act.

"This year, it seems to be picking up a lot more traction," Robinson said.

During the current legislative session, the Federal Research Public Access Act was introduced in both the House and Senate. U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, D-Boulder, is co-sponsoring the bill in the House.

Both the CU Student Government and the United Government of Graduate Students have become Right to Research members. Right to Research is an international student coalition focused on open access to research. FRPAA would apply only to agencies that have research expenditures of more than $100 million.

Contact Camera Staff Writer Brittany Anas at 303-473-1132 or anasb@dailycamera.com.