[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9342 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9342
To revise certain authorities of the Government Publishing Office, and
for other purposes.
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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 18, 2026
Mrs. Bice introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committee on
Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To revise certain authorities of the Government Publishing Office, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``GPO Modernization
Act of 2026''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
TITLE I--SALES PROGRAMS
Sec. 101. Sale of Government documents.
TITLE II--PUBLIC INFORMATION PROGRAMS
Sec. 201. Purpose and establishment.
Sec. 202. Definitions.
Sec. 203. Availability of Government publications.
Sec. 204. Selections available to depository libraries.
Sec. 205. Distribution to depositories.
Sec. 206. Conforming amendment related to libraries of executive
departments.
Sec. 207. Requirements for depository libraries.
Sec. 208. Free use of Government public information in depositories.
Sec. 209. Regional depositories.
Sec. 210. Cataloging and access.
Sec. 211. National Collection of United States Public Information.
Sec. 212. Printing or publication of Congressional Directory.
TITLE III--GPO OPERATIONAL MODERNIZATION
Sec. 301. Updating Oversight by the Joint Committee.
Sec. 302. Modernizing authorities of the Government Publishing Office.
Sec. 303. Updating and Modernizing Congressional Publishing.
Sec. 304. GPO and the Federal Register.
Sec. 305. Acceptance of gifts.
Sec. 306. Simplified acquisitions.
Sec. 307. Supplies or services.
Sec. 308. Detail of employees.
Sec. 309. Equalizing GPO Compensation with Other Legislative Branch
Agencies.
Sec. 310. Leave carryover for certain Government Publishing Office
positions.
TITLE IV--PREPARATION OF CONSTITUTION ANNOTATED
Sec. 401. Repeal requirement for Congressional Research Service to
prepare Annotated Constitution and
supplements in hardbound version.
TITLE I--SALES PROGRAMS
SEC. 101. SALE OF GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS.
(a) Authority of Superintendent of Documents.--Section 1702 of
title 44, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in the first undesignated paragraph, by striking ``The
Director'' and inserting ``(a) Appointment.--The Director'';
(2) in the second undesignated paragraph--
(A) by striking ``When an officer'' and inserting
``(b) Receipt and Sale.--When an officer''; and
(B) by striking ``who shall receive and sell'' and
inserting ``who may receive and sell''; and
(3) in the third undesignated paragraph, by striking ``The
Superintendent of Documents'' and inserting ``(c) Reports and
Distribution.--The Superintendent of Documents''.
(b) Remove Requirement for Approval From Department in Which
Document Originated.--Section 1707 of such title is amended by striking
``, subject to the approval of the Secretary or head of the department
in which the public document originated''.
(c) Prices; Resale Authority.--Section 1708 of such title is
amended to read as follows:
``Sec. 1708. Prices for sales copies of publications; crediting of
receipts; resale by dealers; sales agents
``(a) Prices.--The price at which additional copies of Government
publications are offered for sale to the public by the Superintendent
of Documents shall be based on the cost as determined by the Director
of the Government Publishing Office plus a premium to cover the costs
of sale and delivery. A discount may be allowed as determined by the
Superintendent of Documents.
``(b) Resale Authority.--The Superintendent of Documents may
prescribe terms and conditions under which the Superintendent
authorizes the resale of Government publications by book dealers, and
the Superintendent may designate any Government officer as the
Superintendent's agent for the sale of Government publications under
regulations agreed upon by the Superintendent of Documents and the head
of the respective department or establishment of the Government.''.
(d) Authority of Superintendent of Documents To Establish
Requirements for Distribution, Sale, and Disposal of Unneeded
Documents.--Section 1720 of such title is amended by striking
``distribution or sale'' and inserting ``distribution, sale, or
disposal in accordance with requirements established by the
Superintendent of Documents''.
TITLE II--PUBLIC INFORMATION PROGRAMS
SEC. 201. PURPOSE AND ESTABLISHMENT.
Chapter 19 of title 44, United States Code, is amended by inserting
before section 1901 the following new section:
``Sec. 1900. Purpose and establishment of the public information
programs of the Superintendent of Documents
``(a) The purposes of this chapter are the following:
``(1) To ensure the public's right to free, equitable, and
convenient access to Government public information.
``(2) To establish the Public Information Programs of the
Superintendent of Documents in the Government Publishing
Office, that together, function to identify, acquire, catalog,
preserve, authenticate, disseminate, reformat, and provide no-
fee permanent public access to the corpus of Government public
information for future generations, including the following
programs and activities:
``(A) The Federal Depository Library Program.
``(B) The Cataloging and Access Services Program.
``(C) Online System of Access.
``(D) The National Collection of U.S. Government
Public Information.
``(E) Preservation Program.
``(F) Sales to the Public.
``(b) The Superintendent of Documents shall engage in activities
that enhance awareness and access to Government public information or
provide services that support libraries in their efforts to serve their
communities.''.
SEC. 202. DEFINITIONS.
Section 1901 of title 44, United States Code, is amended to read as
follows:
``Sec. 1901. Definitions
``In this chapter--
``(1) the term `access services' means those functions or
services which enable or enhance discovery, awareness, and use
of Government public information in the National Collection of
U.S. Government Public Information, and Federal documents
collections held by Federal depository libraries;
``(2) the term `Government public information' means
Federal Government publications or information resources,
regardless of physical form or medium, compiled by Government
employees, or at Government expense, or as required by law, and
disseminated to the public by an agency or a contractor thereof
or of educational value, including such publications or
information resources which have been declassified;
``(3) the term `Government publication' means informational
matter which is published as an individual document at
Government expense, or as required by law;
``(4) the term `information' means any communication or
representation of knowledge such as facts, data, or opinions in
any medium or form, including textual, numerical, graphic,
cartographic, narrative, electronic, or audiovisual forms;
``(5) the term `information lifecycle management' means the
process of planning, budgeting, administering, processing, and
controlling information, whether in the form of a tangible or
digital information asset, throughout the stages of the asset,
including the asset's--
``(A) creation, identification, and acquisition;
``(B) organization, bibliographic control, and
metadata;
``(C) preservation, digitization, and reformatting;
``(D) authentication, access, and dissemination;
``(E) promotion;
``(F) storage; and
``(G) management through a trusted digital
repository;
``(6) the term `permanent public access' means making
Government public information resources discoverable and
available to, and accessible by, the public on an indefinite,
continuing basis, without charge;
``(7) the term `preservation' means strategic initiatives,
programs, and processes designed to maintain useful access to
information assets, serving the information needs of both
present and future generations; and
``(8) the term `unreported public information' means
Government public information which is not cataloged or
otherwise identifiable or retrievable by an end user of the
catalog described in section 1917.''.
SEC. 203. AVAILABILITY OF GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS.
Section 1902 of such title is amended to read as follows:
``Sec. 1902. Availability of Government publications through
Superintendent of Documents; notification of publications
not ordered from Government Publishing Office
``(a) Availability.--The Superintendent of Documents shall make
Government public information available to depository libraries through
the Superintendent of Documents Public Information Programs.
``(b) Requirements.--Each component of the Government shall--
``(1) notify the Superintendent of Documents of tangible
Government public information content it has issued that is not
also available digitally;
``(2) notify the Superintendent of Documents of digital
Government public information content it has issued;
``(3) collaborate with the Superintendent of Documents to
ensure any such digital Government public information remains
permanently accessible; and
``(4) furnish to the Superintendent of Documents any
tangible Government public information it has issued that was
obtained from sources other than the Government Publishing
Office, unless other arrangements have been made with the
Superintendent of Documents to ensure the information is
accessible to depository libraries.
``(c) Exceptions.--The requirements of subsection (b) do not apply
to Government public information that is confidential in character or
classified for reasons of national security.''.
SEC. 204. SELECTIONS AVAILABLE TO DEPOSITORY LIBRARIES.
Section 1904 of such title is amended to read as follows:
``Sec. 1904. Selections available to depository libraries
``The Superintendent of Documents shall notify depository libraries
of those Government public information products, regardless of format,
that are available for selection for inclusion in their depository
collections.''.
SEC. 205. DISTRIBUTION TO DEPOSITORIES.
Section 1905 of title 44, United States Code, is amended to read as
follows:
``Sec. 1905. Distribution to depositories; designation of additional
libraries; justification; authorization for certain
designations
``(a) Government public information available from the
Superintendent of Documents under this chapter shall be distributed or
made accessible to depository libraries specifically designated by law
and to libraries designated pursuant to this section.
``(b) Libraries within areas served by Members of the House,
Delegates, or the Resident Commissioner from the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico may be designated by them to receive Government public information
to the extent that the total number of libraries designated by them
does not exceed two within each area.
``(c) Not more than two additional libraries within a State may be
designated by each Senator from the State.
``(d) The Mayor of the District of Columbia may designate two
depository libraries in the District of Columbia.
``(e) The Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Governor
of Guam, the Governor of American Samoa, and the Governor of the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands may each designate one
depository library in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American
Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,
respectively. The Governor of the United States Virgin Islands may
designate one depository library on the island of Saint Thomas and one
on the island of Saint Croix.
``(f) The Superintendent of Documents may designate libraries to be
digital-only depository libraries for Government public information if
they are located in an area with no congressional vacancies and they
are not eligible to be designated under existing by-law library
provisions of this section. Digital-only depository libraries must be
freely accessible to and provide services for the public and otherwise
meet the requirements of this title.
``(g) Before a library is designated as a depository for Government
public information, the Superintendent of Documents shall assess the
potential depository library to determine its sustainability for
housing a depository collection and for providing access services,
including providing access to digital content. The head of that library
shall furnish justification of the necessity for the additional
designation to the library's Senator, Member of the House, Delegate,
Resident Commissioner from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the
Mayor of the District of Columbia or Governor, as the case may be. The
justification shall also include the assessment of the Superintendent
of Documents. The justification for depository library designations
shall be transmitted to the Superintendent of Documents by the Senator,
Member of the House, Delegate, the Resident Commissioner from the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or the Mayor of the District of Columbia
or Governor, as the case may be.''.
SEC. 206. CONFORMING AMENDMENT RELATED TO LIBRARIES OF EXECUTIVE
DEPARTMENTS.
Section 1907 of title 44, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in the first sentence, by striking ``Government
publications'' and inserting ``Government public information'';
and
(2) in the last sentence, by striking ``Library of Congress
and the Archivist of the United States'' and inserting
``Superintendent of Documents''.
SEC. 207. REQUIREMENTS FOR DEPOSITORY LIBRARIES.
Section 1909 of title 44, United States Code, is amended to read as
follows:
``Sec. 1909. Requirements of depository libraries; reports on
conditions; consultations and training; termination;
replacement
``(a) Only a library able to provide access to, custody of, and
services for deposited materials or access to and services for online
digital content and located in an area where it can best serve the
public need may be designated as a depository library. The designated
depository libraries shall report to the Superintendent of Documents at
least every two years concerning their condition.
``(b) The Superintendent of Documents shall regularly assess
conditions in depository libraries. The Superintendent of Documents
shall provide needed training and support by making visits to
depository libraries or by other means and include the results of
consultations in the Superintendent of Documents' annual report. When
the Superintendent of Documents ascertains that the designated
depository has ceased to be maintained so as to be accessible to the
public, or that the Government publications which have been furnished
the library have not been properly maintained, the Superintendent of
Documents shall remove the library from the directory of depository
libraries if the library fails to correct the unsatisfactory conditions
within an agreed upon time frame. A library may be designated, pursuant
to section 1905 of this chapter, to replace a library deleted by the
Superintendent of Documents, provided that the designation may not be
in excess of the number of depository libraries authorized by law.''.
SEC. 208. FREE USE OF GOVERNMENT PUBLIC INFORMATION IN DEPOSITORIES.
Section 1911 of title 44, United States Code, is amended to read as
follows:
``Sec. 1911. Free use of Government public information in depositories;
disposal of unwanted Government public information
``(a) Free Use by the Public.--Depository libraries shall, pursuant
to standards established by the Superintendent of Documents, make
Government public information accessible for free use by the public.
``(b) Digital Information Substitutes.--Depository libraries may
substitute digital information for tangible publications in accordance
with Superintendent of Documents policy and guidance.
``(c) Disposal.--A depository library not served by a regional
depository library, or that is a regional depository library, may
dispose of unwanted Government public information in accordance with
Superintendent of Documents policy and guidance. Depository libraries
may dispose of tangible publications which are Government property
after retention for five years under section 1912 of this title, if the
depository library is served by a regional depository library.''.
SEC. 209. REGIONAL DEPOSITORIES.
Section 1912 of title 44, United States Code, is amended to read as
follows:
``Sec. 1912. Regional depositories; designation; functions; shared
responsibilities, disposal of publications
``(a) Not more than two depository libraries in each State and the
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico may be designated as regional depositories
and shall receive from the Superintendent of Documents copies of or
access to all new and revised Government publications authorized for
dissemination to depository libraries. Designation of regional
depository libraries may be made by a Senator or the Resident
Commissioner from Puerto Rico within the areas served by them. Prior to
the designation the Superintendent of Documents shall consult with the
head of the potential regional depository library and ascertain that
the library will fulfill the requirements for depository libraries. The
agreement to function as a regional depository library shall be
transmitted to the Superintendent of Documents by the Senator or the
Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico when the designation is made.
``(b) Regional depository libraries shall retain at least one copy
of all Government publicat