GPO MODERNIZATION ACT OF 2026

On 2026-09-14, Representative H. Morgan Griffith (R-VA-9) delivered a floor speech titled "GPO MODERNIZATION ACT OF 2026" in the House.

GPO MODERNIZATION ACT OF 2026

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 144 (Monday, September 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 144 (Monday, September 14, 2026)] [House] [Pages H5546-H5551] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] GPO MODERNIZATION ACT OF 2026 Mr. GRIFFITH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 9342) to revise certain authorities of the Government Publishing Office, and for other purposes, as amended. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 9342 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''. [[Page H5547]] 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 (and by conforming the table of sections of such chapter accordingly): ``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 (and by conforming the table of sections of chapter 19 accordingly): ``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 (and by conforming the table of sections of chapter 19 accordingly): ``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 Govern

Referenced legislation: HR9342, HR9342