Open Government at HHS

An open government uses transparency, participation, and collaboration to serve the American people. This helps the public hold the government accountable.

HHS Open Government Plan

Our Open Government Plan coverWe have continually developed our program areas to ensure accountability.

Previous Open Government Plans

Initiatives

The programs below help us achieve our open government goals with expertise both inside and outside HHS.

Office of the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) / IDEA Lab

The Office of the CTO harnesses the power of data, technology, and innovation to create a more modern and effective government that works to improve the health of the nation.

HealthData.gov

HHS provides open access to health information and health datasets generated or held by the U.S. government.

Records & Reports

Read about the inner workings of HHS:

HHS Strategic Plan

Every four years, HHS updates its strategic plan. The Government Performance and Results Modernization Act requires federal agencies to consult with Congress and to solicit and consider the views of external parties.

Public Access

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has directed all federal research agencies with more than $100 million in the annual conduct of research and development to develop plans for increasing access for increasing public access to peer-reviewed scientific publications and digital data resulting from federally funded research investments.

Prevention and Public Health Fund

Congress has directed HHS to provide information on activities and programs supported with resources from the Prevention and Public Health Fund.

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

FOIA is a critical part of Open Government that encourages accountability through transparency. We improve compliance and reform of FOIA as we develop our Open Government Plans.

  • Learn more about FOIA.

Records Management

Proper records management is the backbone of open government. Title 44 U.S.C. 2901 defines records management as “the managerial activities involved with respect to records creation, records maintenance and use, and records disposition in order to achieve adequate and proper documentation of the policies and transactions of the Federal government and effective and economical management of agency operations."

Regulatory Review

The Department welcomes suggestions of regulations to review. You may think the regulation is obsolete, unnecessary, burdensome, or counterproductive, or you may think the Department should modify a regulation to increase its effectiveness, efficiency, and flexibility.

HHS Sustainability

HHS outlines its path towards sustainable operation and efficiency with reduction goals to cut consumption and emissions, while increasing productivity and transparency.

Web Measurement and Customization Technologies

HHS discloses the use of web measurement and customization technologies to remember a user’s online interactions with a website or online application. We use these to measure and analyze usage or to customize the user’s experience.

Plain Writing

Clear writing is essential to transparency, public participation, and collaboration.

Language Access Plan

HHS provides access to HHS programs and activities for persons with limited English proficiency.

Research and Scientific Integrity

HHS has policies and principles to ensure the integrity of scientific and scholarly activities that the Department conducts and supports and the science it uses to inform management and public policy decisions.

Preparation, Submission, and Execution of the Budget

HHS ensures the transparent preparation and execution of our budget by making the following resources available:

Conference Spending Reports

These reports include information about conferences held by HHS where costs exceed $100,000.

Presidential Actions, Executive Orders & Memos

HHS has compiled a listing of presidential actions executive orders, and memos related to open government.

Content created by Immediate Office of the Secretary (IOS)
Content last reviewed on February 8, 2021