  The BAT AGN Spectroscopic Survey (BASS) is designed to provide a highly
complete census of the key physical parameters of supermassive black holes
(SMBHs) that power local active galactic nuclei (AGN) (z<0.3), including their
bolometric luminosity, black hole mass, accretion rates, and line-of-sight gas
obscuration, and the distinctive properties of their host galaxies (e.g., star
formation rates, masses, and gas fractions). We present an overview of the BASS
data release 2 (DR2), an unprecedented spectroscopic survey in spectral range,
resolution, and sensitivity, including 1449 optical (3200-10000 A) and 233 NIR
(1-2.5 um) spectra for the brightest 858 ultra-hard X-ray (14-195 keV) selected
AGN across the entire sky and essentially all levels of obscuration. This
release provides a highly complete set of key measurements (emission line
measurements and central velocity dispersions), with 99.9% measured redshifts
and 98% black hole masses estimated (for unbeamed AGN outside the Galactic
plane). The BASS DR2 AGN sample represents a unique census of nearby powerful
AGN, spanning over 5 orders of magnitude in AGN bolometric luminosity, black
hole mass, Eddington ratio, and obscuration. The public BASS DR2 sample and
measurements can thus be used to answer fundamental questions about SMBH growth
and its links to host galaxy evolution and feedback in the local universe, as
well as open questions concerning SMBH physics. Here we provide a brief
overview of the survey strategy, the key BASS DR2 measurements, data sets and
catalogs, and scientific highlights from a series of DR2-based works.
