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
IV Preparation of Constitution Annotated
(a) Repeal. The first section of Public Law 91–589 (2 U.S.C. 168) is amended—
(1) by striking the Librarian of Congress and inserting (a) subject to subsection (b), the Librarian of Congress; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
(b)
(1) Upon the completion of the October 2031 term of the Supreme Court and upon the completion of each tenth October term of the Supreme Court thereafter, the Librarian of Congress shall have prepared a digital decennial revised edition of the Constitution Annotated, which shall contain annotations of all decisions theretofore rendered by the Supreme Court construing provisions of the Constitution, in place of the hardbound decennial revised edition of the Constitution Annotated described in subsection (a)(3).
(2) Upon the completion of the October 2026 term of the Supreme Court and upon the completion of each subsequent October term of the Supreme Court beginning in an odd-numbered year (the final digit of which is not a 1), the Librarian shall have prepared a digital cumulative pocket-part supplement to the most recent decennial revised edition of the Constitution Annotated, which shall contain cumulative annotations of all such decisions rendered by the Supreme Court which were not included in the most recent revised edition of the Constitution Annotated, in place of the hardbound editions of the cumulative pocket-part supplement described in subsection (a)(4).
(b) Ensuring availability of digital versions. Section 2 of Public Law 91–589 (2 U.S.C. 168a) is amended—
(1) by striking All hardbound and inserting (a) All hardbound; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
(b)
(1) The digital decennial revised editions of the Constitution Annotated prepared under subsection (b)(1) of the first section of this Joint Resolution and the digital cumulative pocket-part supplements prepared under subsection (b)(2) of the first section of this Joint Resolution shall be available at a public website of the Library of Congress.
(2) The Librarian of Congress shall ensure the continuing availability of the documents referred to in paragraph (1) to Congress and the public.
(c) Repeal of additional printing requirements
(1) Mandatory printing of additional copies. Section 3 of Public Law 91–589 (2 U.S.C. 168b) is amended—
(A) by striking There shall be printed and inserting (a) There shall be printed; and
(B) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
(b) Subsection (a) does not apply after completion of the October 2026 term of the Supreme Court, and the Librarian of Congress shall provide the decennial revised editions of the Constitution Annotated and the cumulative pocket part supplements prepared under this Joint Resolution exclusively in a digital format available at a public website of the Library of Congress.
(2) Printing of additional copies pursuant to concurrent resolution. Section 4 of Public Law 91–589 (2 U.S.C. 168c) is repealed.