GPO Distribution of Federal Register Restricted by New Legislation
Each day the Government Publishing Office prints and distributes about 1,000 free copies of the Federal Register to congressional offices and other government employees. That practice will now end thanks to a significant piece of legislation passed last week — significant because this legislation also ended the government shutdown.
According to Roll Call, the vehicle for the continuing resolution that funds the government until Feb. 8 was legislation that prohibits the GPO from distributing free printed copies of the Federal Register to congressional offices or other government employees, unless specifically requested.
The average Federal Register has 300 pages and costs $4.50 to produce and distribute, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The CBO has estimated that curtailing those free copies would reduce spending by $1 million annually. A GPO source told IPG the agency is now working with the Office of the Federal Register to implement the legislation.
The Federal Register compiles and organizes thousands of rules, regulations, executive orders, presidential documents, and notices generated by federal departments and agencies. Read the full story here.
