H.R. 9342
GPO Modernization Act of 2026
Sponsor: Stephanie I. Bice · 0 cosponsors
Official summary
Written by the Congressional Research Service.
GPO Modernization Act of 2026
This bill revises certain programs and operations of the Government Publishing Office (GPO). The bill also revises a Library of Congress (LOC) requirement related to the publication of the Constitution Annotated.
Specifically, the bill revises the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) through which GPO provides long-term public access to federal publications. Among other changes to the FDLP, the bill (1) updates statutory references within the FDLP to include references to government public information in all formats, including digital; and (2) removes a requirement that a depository library must maintain a specified minimum number of books.
Additionally, the bill requires GPO's Superintendent of Documents to (1) provide descriptive cataloguing records for government public information, which must include metadata; and (2) protect the privacy of individuals using the digital repository system.
Among other changes to GPO operations, the bill
- redesignates the Joint Committee on Printing (which oversees GPO) as the Joint Committee on Publishing and updates the relevant statutory references,
- specifies that GPO may provide publishing services,
- allows GPO to accept gifts,
- increases the statutory simplified acquisition threshold for GPO purchases, and
- updates certain employee leave carryover and compensation rules.
The bill also replaces the requirement for LOC to prepare hardbound versions of the Constitution Annotated and supplements with a requirement for LOC to instead prepare digital versions and publish them online. The new requirement applies to the supplement after the Supreme Court term beginning October 2026 and all subsequent editions.
Text of the bill
I Sales programs
II Public information programs
III GPO Operational Modernization
Title 44, United States Code, is amended—
(1) in section 1502, by striking , together with the Director of the Government Publishing Office,;
(2) in section 1503, by striking to the Government Publishing Office and insert for publication;
(3) by amending section 1504 to read as follows:
1504. Federal Register; publishing; contents; distribution; price; physical copies. Documents required or authorized to be published by section 1505 shall be published immediately in a serial publication designated the Federal Register. The Director of the Government Publishing Office may make available the facilities of the Government Publishing Office for the prompt publication of the Federal Register in the manner and at the times required by this chapter and the regulations prescribed under it under an agreement with the Archivist of the United States. The contents of the daily issues shall constitute all documents, required or authorized to be published, filed with the Office of the Federal Register up to the time of the day immediately preceding the day of publication fixed by regulations under this chapter. There shall be published with each document a copy of the notation, required to be made by section 1503, of the day and hour when, upon filing with the Office, the document was made available for public inspection. Distribution shall be made at a time in the morning of the day of distribution fixed by regulations prescribed under this chapter. The prices to be charged for the Federal Register may be fixed by the Administrative Committee of the Federal Register established by section 1506 without reference to the restrictions placed upon and fixed for the sale of Government publications by sections 1705 and 1708. The Director of the Office of the Federal Register shall arrange for the printing of at least two physical copies of each published Federal Register issue. Of those, not less than two copies shall be stored, each in a separate facility, to ensure the preservation of the Federal Register for the purposes of continuity of government.
(4) by amending section 1505(c) to read as follows:
(c) Alternative Publication. In a continuity of operations event that limits the fulfillment of the publication requirements of this chapter, the Office of the Federal Register may establish an alternative method to publish the Federal Register until such time that the regular publication may resume.
(5) in section 1506(a), by striking an officer of the Department of Justice designated by the Attorney General, and the Director of the Government Publishing Office or Acting Director of the Government Publishing Office and inserting and an officer of the Department of Justice designated by the Attorney General; and
(6) by amending section 1509 to read as follows:
1509. Costs of publication, etc.
(a) If the Government Publishing Office publishes the Federal Register or Code of Federal Regulations, the cost of such publishing, and, except as provided in subsection (b), other expenses incurred by the Government Publishing Office in carrying out the duties under this chapter shall be charged to the revolving fund provided in section 309. Reimbursements for such costs and expenses shall be made by the Federal agencies and credited, together with all receipts, as provided in section 309(b).
(b) If the Government Publishing Office publishes any other publications of the Federal Register program, the costs of such publications and other expenses incurred by the Government Publishing Office in connection with such publications, shall be borne by the appropriations to the Government Publishing Office and the appropriations are made available, and are authorized to be increased by additional sums necessary for the purposes, the increases to be based upon estimates submitted by the Director of the Government Publishing Office.
IV Preparation of Constitution Annotated