Congressional Printing: Background and 
Issues for Congress 
R. Eric Petersen 
Analyst in American National Government 
November 5, 2009 
Congressional Research Service
7-5700 
www.crs.gov 
R40897 
CRS Report for Congress
P
  repared for Members and Committees of Congress        
Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress 
 
Summary 
Periodically, concerns have been raised about the number and variety of products created to 
document congressional activity. Other concerns focus on the process for authorizing and 
distributing printed government documents to Members of Congress, committees, and other 
officials in the House and Senate. These concerns reflect broader issues related to the manner in 
which government and private information is created, assembled, distributed, and preserved in 
light of the emergence of electronic publishing and distribution. 
From its establishment in 1861, the Government Printing Office (GPO) has compiled, formatted, 
printed, bound, and distributed documents that have recorded the activities of Congress (and the 
work of other governmental entities). In current practice, more than half of all government 
documents originate in digital form, and are distributed electronically. As a consequence of 
electronic production and dissemination, some congressional materials are now more readily 
available to wider congressional, governmental, and public audiences than when they were only 
produced and distributed in paper form. 
Some have argued that eliminating paper versions of some congressional documents, and relying 
instead on electronic versions, could result in further cost and resource savings and might provide 
environmental benefits. At the same time, however, current law regarding document production, 
authentication, and preservation, as well as some user demand, require a number of paper-based 
documents to be produced and distributed as part of the official record of congressional 
proceedings. 
As a result of requirements for both electronic and paper-based versions of congressional 
documents, GPO oversees an information distribution process that produces and distributes most 
of the congressional information for which it is responsible in both electronic and printed forms. 
This process provides the necessary information and appropriate formats for Congress to carry 
out and document its activities, but it may also result in some unwanted printed copies of 
congressional documents being delivered to congressional users who prefer to access those 
resources electronically. More broadly, the transition to electronic distribution of materials may 
raise questions about the capacity of current law and congressional practices to effectively 
oversee GPO’s management and distribution responsibilities regarding congressional 
information. 
This report, which will be updated as events warrant, provides an overview and analysis of issues 
related to the processing and distribution of congressional information by the Government 
Printing Office. Subsequent sections address several issues, including funding congressional 
printing, printing authorizations, current printing practices, and options for Congress. Finally, the 
report provides congressional printing appropriations, production, and distribution data in a 
number of tables. 
 
Congressional Research Service 
Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress 
 
Contents 
Congressional Information Distribution Practices in Transition ................................................... 1 
GPO and Congressional Printing ................................................................................................. 3 
Congressional Printing .......................................................................................................... 4 
Page Production .............................................................................................................. 6 
Printing Practices .................................................................................................................. 7 
Congressional Record..................................................................................................... 8 
Bills and Resolutions .................................................................................................... 11 
Reports and Documents ................................................................................................ 13 
Discussion and Analysis............................................................................................................ 14 
Potential Options for Congress .................................................................................................. 16 
Maintain The Status Quo..................................................................................................... 16 
Conduct Studies .................................................................................................................. 17 
Consider Legislation ........................................................................................................... 17 
Congressional Printing: Data Tables.......................................................................................... 18 
Appropriations for the Government Printing Office, Congressional Printing and 
Binding Account .............................................................................................................. 18 
Congressional Printing: Page Volume ................................................................................. 20 
Congressional Record, Daily Edition: Publication and Congressional Distribution 
Data................................................................................................................................. 22 
Legislative Measures........................................................................................................... 23 
Congressional Documents and Reports................................................................................ 24 
 
Figures 
Figure 1. Government Printing Office, Congressional Printing and Binding Account 
Appropriations, FY1987-FY2009............................................................................................. 4 
Figure 2. Congressional Record, Daily Edition: Copies Produced FY1985-FY2009 .................... 8 
Figure 3. Distribution of the Congressional Record, Daily Edition ............................................ 10 
Figure 4. Congressional Record, Daily Edition: Distribution of Congressional Printing 
and Binding Copies, FY1987-FY2009.................................................................................... 11 
Figure 5. Stages at which Legislative Measures Might be Printed by GPO................................. 13 
 
Tables 
Table 1. Congressional Printing Products: Authorized Copies ..................................................... 4 
Table 2. Congressional Printing and Binding Page Volume, Percentage Change in 
Selected Categories, FY1985-FY2009...................................................................................... 7 
Table 3. Congressional Record, Daily Edition: Percentage Change in Copies Produced, 
FY1985-FY2009...................................................................................................................... 9 
Table 4. Congressional Record, Daily Edition: Change in Copies and Distribution of 
Congressional Printing and Binding Copies, FY1987-FY2009 ............................................... 11 
Congressional Research Service 
Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress 
 
Table 5. Estimated Prepress and Printing Costs per Page of Selected Congressional 
Publications, FY2009............................................................................................................. 15 
Table 6. Government Printing Office, Congressional Printing and Binding Account 
Appropriations, FY1985-FY2009........................................................................................... 18 
Table 7. Congressional Printing and Binding, Page Volume of Selected Categories, 
FY1985-FY2010.................................................................................................................... 20 
Table 8. Congressional Record, Daily Edition: Copies Produced and Distribution, 
FY1985-FY2009.................................................................................................................... 22 
Table 9. Authorized Distribution of Legislative Measures ......................................................... 23 
Table 10. GPO Distribution of Legislative Measures, FY2009................................................... 24 
Table 11. Authorized “Usual Number” of House  and Senate Documents and Reports............... 24 
Table 12. Authorized Recipients and Copies of Reports on Private Bills,  and Concurrent 
or Simple Resolutions ............................................................................................................ 25 
Table 13. GPO Distribution of Congressional Documents and Reports, FY2009........................ 25 
Table 14. Authorized Distribution of the Congressional Record ................................................ 27 
 
Contacts 
Author Contact Information ...................................................................................................... 33 
Acknowledgments .................................................................................................................... 33 
 
Congressional Research Service 
Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress 
 
Congressional Information Distribution Practices in 
Transition 
Periodically, concerns have been raised about the number and variety of products created to 
document congressional activity. Other concerns focus on the process for authorizing and 
distributing printed government documents to Members of Congress, congressional committees, 
and other officials in the House and Senate.1 Concerns regarding congressional activities are 
typically considered in the context of the congressional environment. In the field of information 
management, however, they reflect broader issues related to the manner in which government and 
private information is created, assembled, distributed, and preserved.2 A number of issues arise 
due to significant transformations in the areas of printing, publishing, and information 
management. Those changes have been initiated as a consequence of the emergence in the past 
three decades of electronic publishing and distribution, which has expanded the means of 
information creation and delivery beyond mechanical compilation and production of documents 
that only exist on paper. 
Since its establishment in 1861,3 and until the emergence and integration of digital dissemination, 
the Government Printing Office (GPO) has compiled, formatted, printed, bound, and distributed 
documents that recorded the activities of Congress (and the work of other governmental entities) 
through a series of labor- and resource-intensive steps. Over time, the agency has integrated new 
technologies into its production processes as they became available, or were mandated. The 
enactment of P.L. 103-40, the Government Printing Office Electronic Information Access 
Enhancement Act of 19934, required the production of electronic versions of the Congressional 
Record and the Federal Register, and provided authority for production and distribution of other 
government documents electronically. The act requires GPO to the “extent practicable, [to] 
accommodate any request by the head of a department or agency to include … information that is 
under the control of the department or agency involved” in its electronic directory and systems of 
online access. Arguably, that language does not bind Congress to make its materials available, 
                                                
1 U.S. Congress, House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Legislative Branch, Legislative Branch 
Appropriations for 2010, Fiscal Year 2010 Legislative Branch Appropriations Requests, 111th Cong., 1st sess., April 22, 
2009 (Washington: GPO, 2009), pp. 161, 164-165; “Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2008,” House Debate, 
Congressional Record, daily edition, June 22, 2007, pp. H6982-H6994; Representative Jeff Flake, “Tired of Throwing 
Away Congressional Records?” dear colleague letter, June 21, 2007; and Representative Michael T. McCaul, “Cut 
Government Waste and Support Capitol Police,” dear colleague letter, June 7, 2006. 
2  David Cuillier and Suzanne J. Piotrowski, “Internet Information-Seeking And Its Relation To Support For Access To 
Government Records,” Government Information Quarterly, vol. 26, no. 3 (2009), pp. 441-449; Kenneth Thibodeau, 
“The Electronic Records Archive Program at the National Archives and Records Administration,” First Monday, vol. 
12, no. 7 (July 2, 2007), at http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/1922/1804; and 
James A. Jacobs, James R. Jacobs, and Shinjoung Yeo, “Government Information in the Digital Age: The Once and 
Future Federal Depository Library Program,” Journal of Academic Librarianship, vol. 31, no. 3 (May 2005), pp. 198-
208. 
3 Prior to 1861, and during a period of transition following the creation of GPO, publication and distribution of 
congressional information was handled by private printers and editors. For further discussion, see Elizabeth Gregory 
McPherson, “The History of Reporting the Debates and Proceedings of Congress” (Ph.D. diss., University of North 
Carolina, 1940).  
4  P.L. 103-40, Government Printing Office Electronic Information Access Enhancement Act of 1993, 107 Stat. 112, 44 
U.S.C. 4101. 
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Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress 
 
since it is not a department or agency. Nevertheless, Congress has made some of its materials 
available in electronic form through GPO since P.L. 103-40 was enacted. 
GPO began producing electronic versions of the daily edition of the Congressional Record and 
the Federal Register in 1994. Soon after, GPO began providing access to electronic versions of 
congressional documents authorized for distribution by Congress through its GPO Access 
website.5 The agency began distributing new documents through its Federal Digital System 
(FDsys), and migrating collections from GPO Access in the spring of 2009.6 
In current practice, according to Robert C. Tapella, the Public Printer of the United States, who 
heads GPO, “less than half of all Government documents are printed first and then distributed. 
They are born digital, and they are made available to the public through Web access and other 
sources.”7 As a consequence of electronic production and dissemination, some congressional 
materials are more readily available to wider congressional, governmental, and public audiences 
than when they were produced and distributed only in paper form.8 Further, changes in the 
production process from the creation of content through delivery to a user, in print or electronic 
form, have reduced the resources necessary to produce congressional information.9 
In light of these changes, some have argued that eliminating paper versions of some 
congressional documents, and relying instead on electronic versions, could result in further cost 
and resource savings, and might provide environmental benefits.10 At the same time, however, 
current law regarding document production, authentication, and preservation, as well as some 
user demand, require a number of paper-based documents to be produced and distributed as part 
of the official record of congressional proceedings. 
As a result of requirements for both electronic and paper-based versions of congressional 
documents, GPO oversees an information distribution process that produces and distributes most 
of the congressional information for which it is responsible11 in both electronic and printed forms. 
                                                
5 http://www.gpoaccess.gov/. 
6 Information about the migration of materials from GPO Access to FDsys is available at http://www.gpo.gov/projects/
fdsysinfo.htm. 
7  U.S. Congress, House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Legislative Branch, Legislative Branch 
Appropriations for 2009, Government Printing Office Budget, 110th Cong., 2nd sess., March 6, 2008 (Washington: 
GPO, 2008), p. 272. A comparable breakdown of the origins of congressional documents is not available. 
8  Barbara J. Costello, “Moving In The Right Direction: Developments In The Online Availability Of Full-Text 
Congressional Committee Hearing Transcripts,” Government Information Quarterly, vol. 25, no. 1 (January 2008), pp. 
104-117. 
9 Some of the changes include transition from mechanical to electronic means to create, compose, and prepare 
congressional documents; the use of recycled paper in printing; and reduced demand for paper-based printed products. 
10 Some of the technological transformations GPO has adopted have also incorporated changes that may provide 
environmental benefits. Since at least 2000, GPO and its contractors have used paper that meets federal recycled paper 
requirements, and all GPO printing inks have been vegetable oil based instead of petroleum based. Recently, the 
Speaker of the House, Representative Nancy Pelosi, announced that the daily edition of the Congressional Record is 
now printed on 100% recycled paper. See U.S. Government Printing Office, Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2000, 
Washington, DC, 2001, p. 2, http://www.gpo.gov/pdfs/congressional/archives/2000gpoannualreport.pdf; and U.S. 
Congress, House, Speaker of the House, “Pelosi: Congressional Record Now Printed on 100 Percent Recycled Paper,” 
press release, October 2, 2009, http://speaker.house.gov/newsroom/pressreleases?id=1386. 
11 The congressional materials GPO produces include legislation, committee documents, handbooks, manuals, and the 
Congressional Record. GPO is not responsible for distributing all congressional information. Some examples of items 
for which GPO has no responsibility include various disclosure documents required by the House or Senate, and the 
correspondence, media releases, and records of individual Members. 
Congressional Research Service 
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Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress 
 
This process provides the necessary information and appropriate formats for Congress to carry 
out and document its activities, but it may also result in some unwanted printed copies of 
congressional documents being delivered to congressional users who prefer to access those 
resources electronically. More broadly, the transition to electronic distribution of materials may 
raise questions about the capacity of congressional authorities to effectively oversee GPO’s 
management and distribution responsibilities regarding congressional information under current 
law and congressional practices. 
This report provides an overview and analysis of issues related to the processing and distribution 
of congressional information by the Government Printing Office (GPO). Subsequent sections 
address several issues, including funding congressional printing, printing authorizations, current 
printing practices, and options for Congress. Finally, the report provides congressional printing 
appropriations, production, and distribution data in a number of tables. 
GPO and Congressional Printing 
GPO is a legislative branch agency that serves all three branches of the federal government as a 
centralized resource for gathering, cataloging, producing, providing, authenticating, and 
preserving published information. The agency’s activities are funded through three sources. 
These include appropriations, a revolving fund through which executive and judicial branch 
agencies pay GPO for information management and distribution services, and sales of products to 
nongovernmental entities and the general public. 
GPO’s appropriation is included in the annual legislative branch appropriations bill. The bill 
funds three GPO accounts: congressional printing and binding (CPB); salaries and expenses of 
the Superintendent of Documents (S&E); and, on occasion, a small part of the revolving fund. 
Congress allocates a substantial proportion of the funds appropriated to GPO to the CPB account, 
which funds the production and dissemination of congressional documents. Since 1988, 
appropriations for CPB have comprised an average of 73.08% of funds provided to GPO by 
Congress. Activities funded in the revolving fund and S&E accounts do not directly support 
congressional publishing activity.12 
Figure 1 provides the levels of funding of the CPB account since 1985, based on nominal and 
constant (2009) dollars. The data show that CPB spending has declined from $160.59 million in 
1985 (2009 dollars) to $96.83 million in 2009. Part of the decline in appropriations reflects 
savings resulting from reduced staffing13 due to the implementation by GPO of less labor-
intensive printing technologies, increased electronic distribution, and somewhat reduced demands 
for some types of congressional products. Table 6, in the data tables below, provides GPO CPB 
account appropriations data in nominal and constant (2009) dollars and the percentage of 
appropriations allocated to CPB since 1985. 
                                                
12 On several occasions, GPO has made up temporary shortfalls in CPB funding with resources from the revolving 
fund. Congressional shortfalls are typically remedied in subsequent appropriations. Some equipment and technology 
upgrades for which funds are appropriated to the S&E account, such as GPO’s Federal Digital System (FDsys), may 
affect the distribution of congressional materials. 
13 Staffing levels at GPO fell 44.11%, from 5,391 in 1985 to 2,116 in 2008. See CRS Report R40056, Legislative 
Branch Staffing, 1954-2007, by R. Eric Petersen. 
Congressional Research Service 
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Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress 
 
Figure 1. Government Printing Office, Congressional Printing and Binding Account 
Appropriations, FY1987-FY2009 
Nominal and Constant (2009) Dollars, Thousands of Dollars 
$160,000
$140,000
$120,000
$100,000
$80,000
$60,000
$40,000
$20,000
$0
1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Appropriation, Nominal $
Constant, 2009 $
 
Source: Actual appropriations reported by GPO in annual appropriations requests, in Summary of 
Appropriations Estimates tables, various years, and CRS calculations. 
Notes: Data incorporate GPO reported sequestrations, restrictions, reductions, rescissions, and transfers from 
the GPO revolving fund as noted in Table 6, in the data table section below. These data may not incorporate 
supplemental appropriations. 
Congressional Printing 
In each Congress, thousands of products are created to document the activities of the House and 
Senate. The publication of congressional documents is carried out pursuant to statute, or by 
resolution of the House or Senate, acting separately or jointly. The number and distribution of 
paper-based congressional documents may be set in statute, by the House or Senate, acting 
separately or jointly, or by the Joint Committee on Printing (JCP). Table 1 summarizes the 
authority and authorized distribution for a number of printed products used by Congress. Current 
law provides that GPO “shall accommodate any request” from a government entity to distribute 
electronically any information under control of that entity.14 
Table 1. Congressional Printing Products: Authorized Copies 
Product Copies 
Authorized 
Authority 
Bills and Joint Resolutions 625 
44 
U.S.C. 
706 
Congressional Directory 
Determined by JCP 
44 U.S.C. 721 
Congressional Record 
Daily Edition, approx. 23,300 
44 U.S.C. 906 
Bound, approx. 2,400 
Semimonthly edition, no longer produced 
Journals of the House and Senate 
820 
44 U.S.C. 713 
Slip Laws 
Determined by JCP 
44 U.S.C. 709 
Statutes at Large 
Determined by JCP 
44 U.S.C. 728 
Simple and Concurrent Resolutions 
260 
44 U.S.C. 706 
Private Bill, Senate 295 
44 
U.S.C. 
706 
                                                
14 44 U.S.C. 4101. 
Congressional Research Service 
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Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress 
 
Product Copies 
Authorized 
Authority 
Private Bill, House 
260 44 
U.S.C. 
706 
Manuals of the House and Senate 
Determined by each chamber 
44 U.S.C. 720 
Documents and Reports 
“The Usual Number,” 1,682 
44 U.S.C. 701 
Source: Title 44, U.S. Code. 
The publication and distribution of some categories of documents that may not be published on a 
regular basis is also authorized in statute. For example, at the conclusion of a Congress in which a 
sitting Member of the House or a former Member who served as Speaker dies, GPO, subject to 
the direction of JCP, compiles, prepares, and prints, with illustrations, a tribute book.15 Additional 
copies are distributed to Members of Congress.16 
Also, the House or Senate, acting separately or jointly, may authorize the publication of other 
documents. Some examples include 
•  unanimous consent agreements in the Senate that tributes to retiring Senators 
appearing in the Congressional Record be printed as Senate documents;17 
•  H.Con.Res. 128, 110th Congress, authorizing the printing of a commemorative 
document in memory of the late President, Gerald R. Ford;18 
•  a Senate order authorizing the printing of tributes to the late Senator Craig 
Thomas;19 
•  H.Con.Res. 345, 108th Congress, authorizing the printing of the transcripts of the 
proceedings of “The Changing Nature of the House Speakership: The Cannon 
Centenary Conference,” held on November 12, 2003;20 and 
•  H.Con.Res. 43 and H.Con.Res. 66, 107th Congress, authorizing revised and 
updated versions of the House documents entitled Black Americans in Congress, 
1870-1989, and Women in Congress, 1917-1990, respectively.21 
                                                
15 44 U.S.C. 723. The tribute book contains the legislative proceedings of Congress and the exercises at the general 
memorial services held in the House in tribute to the deceased Member or former Speaker, together with all relevant 
memorial addresses and eulogies published in the Congressional Record during the same session of Congress, and any 
other matter JCP considers relevant. 
16 The statute also authorizes the production of 50 copies, bound in full morocco, with gilt edges, and suitably lettered 
as may be requested, to be delivered to the family of the deceased. According to GPO, this is no longer done. Email 
communication with GPO staff, October 23, 2009. 
17 Senator Patty Murray, “Tributes to Senator Coleman,” Remarks in the Senate, Congressional Record, daily edition, 
July 9, 2009, p. S7332; Senator Mary Landrieu, “Order for Printing of Senate Document,” Remarks in the Senate, 
Congressional Record, daily edition, September 27, 2008, p. S10022; and Senator Mitch McConnell, “Order for 
Printing Tributes to Retiring Senators,” Remarks in the Senate, Congressional Record, daily edition, November 18, 
2004, p. S11513. 
18 See U.S. House, Memorial Services in the Congress of the United States and Tributes in Eulogy of Gerald R. Ford 
Late a President of the United States, 110th Cong., 1st sess., H. Doc. 110-61 (Washington: GPO, 2007). 
19 See “Order for Printing and Submission of Tributes to Senator Craig Thomas,” Congressional Record, daily edition, 
June 14, 2007, p. S7776. 
20 See U.S. House, The Cannon Centenary Conference: The Changing Nature of the Speakership, 108th Cong., 2nd 
sess., H. Doc. 108-204 (Washington: GPO, 2004). 
21 See U.S. Congress, House, Women in Congress, 1917-2006, 108th Cong., 2nd sess., H. Doc. 108-223 (Washington: 
(continued...) 
Congressional Research Service 
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Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress 
 
Page Production 
In its annual budget requests, GPO reports the volume of its work in terms of the number of pages 
produced, and the number of copies produced for each product. GPO expresses the overall 
production of congressional documents in the number of pages produced for several categories of 
documents. Generally, page production is a function of congressional activity; more activity, 
which may result in an increase in the number or length of days in session, the number of 
measures introduced, or the number of hearings held, typically means greater demand for printing 
services and increases the volume of pages produced. As noted in congressional testimony, the 
number of pages necessary to meet demand varies by Congress and session, according to 
workload and activity on the floor. For example, the page volume for the Congressional Record 
and bills, resolutions, and amendments may be higher as more measures are introduced during the 
first session of a Congress than in the second session. 22 GPO’s page production categories 
include the following:23 
•  Congressional Record, daily edition. A substantially verbatim account capturing 
the proceedings of the House and Senate; 
•  Miscellaneous Publications. Includes the Congressional Directory, House and 
Senate Journals, memorial addresses, nominations, serial sets, and unnumbered 
publications; 
•  Document Envelopes & Franks. Franked envelopes and perforated sheets with 
Members’ signatures for the mailing of documents; 
•  Calendars. House and Senate business and committee calendars; 
•  Bills, Resolutions & Amendments. Printing of legislative measures, including 
prints as introduced, reported, and adopted or passed; 
•  Committee Reports. Documents of congressional committees on pending 
legislation that carry a congressional document number; 
•  Documents. House and Senate documents that carry a congressional number. 
Examples may include annual reports, engineers’ reports made by government 
agencies, or estimates of appropriations; 
•  Hearings. All published hearings held before committees; and 
•  Committee Prints. Documents on pending legislation printed for the internal use 
of committees. 
                                                             
(...continued) 
GPO, 2006); and U.S. Congress, House, Black Americans in Congress, 1870-2007, 108th Cong., 2nd sess., H. Doc. 108-
224 (Washington: GPO, 2008). Some of the content of the publications is also available electronically at 
http://womenincongress.house.gov/ or http://baic.house.gov/. 
22 U.S. Congress, House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Legislative Branch, Legislative Branch 
Appropriations for 2010, Fiscal Year 2010 Legislative Branch Appropriations Requests, 111th Cong., 1st sess., April 22, 
2009 (Washington: GPO, 2009), p. 161. 
23 The categories are based on GPO’s CPB Base Budget Review for FY 2010, in U.S. Congress, House Committee on 
Appropriations, Subcommittee on Legislative Branch, Legislative Branch Appropriations for 2010, Fiscal Year 2010 
Legislative Branch Appropriations Requests, part 1, 111th Cong., 1st sess., April 22, 2009 (Washington: GPO, 2009), 
pp. 922-923. 
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Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress 
 
Table 2 provides summary data reflecting the change in page volume levels since 1985. No 
particular pattern appears to apply to all categories. Between 2006 and 2009, five of nine 
categories increased in volume. Over the period between 1985 and 2009, six of nine categories 
decreased in overall volume. Three categories, including daily record, calendars, and hearings, 
decreased in both periods while two categories, bills, resolutions, and amendments, and 
committee reports increased. At the same time, all categories showed at least one significant 
increase or decrease in volume over two separate periods between 1985 and 2009. Table 7, in the 
data table section below, provides GPO page data for a number of categories of congressional 
printing listed in the agency’s annual appropriations requests. 
Table 2. Congressional Printing and Binding Page Volume, Percentage Change in 
Selected Categories, FY1985-FY2009 
Columns Report Percentage Change For Each Period Listed 
1985- 
1991- 
1996- 
2001- 
2006- 
1985- 
Document Category 
1990 
1995 
2000 
2005 
2009 
2009 
Daily 
Record 
19.35% -14.38% -25.64% 18.75%  -8.26%  -3.23% 
Miscel aneous 
Publications 
-26.09 73.59  35.00 -71.74  7.49  -52.17 
Document Envelopes & Franks 
-5.31 
-31.47 
-33.33 
-50.00 
10.48 
-76.33 
Calendars 3.13 
0.41 
-6.06 
-41.38 
-28.99 
-31.88 
Bills, Resolutions & Amendments 
15.79 
-28.08 
-31.62 
31.43 
30.28 
57.16 
Committee Reports 
13.16 
-25.05 
-26.32 
0.00 
27.58 
10.79 
Documents -6.06 
-28.63 
56.25 
10.00 
-1.70 
4.85 
Hearings -3.99 
-13.10 
-12.09 
-0.62 
-14.72 
-47.52 
Committee 
Prints 
-38.89 16.21  5.88  -20.93 24.34 -63.11 
 Source: CRS calculations, based on Congressional Printing and Binding Appropriation Volume Increase or 
Decrease tables submitted by the Government Printing Office in annual appropriations requests, various years. 
This table excludes calculations of data included in some of those tables, including Daily Record data production 
(which typical y is the same as Daily Record data), the record index, record indexers, U.S. Code and 
Supplements, miscel aneous printing and binding, and details to Congress. 
Printing Practices 
For most printed congressional products, there are differences between the authorized levels of 
printed versions and the actual number of those documents that are printed. An authorized 
number of copies for some printed congressional products is set in statute. In practice the actual 
number of copies printed of the Congressional Record; measures introduced, reported, adopted, 
or enacted in the House or Senate; and reports and documents printed by the House or Senate is 
generally lower.24 In addition, the Congressional Record is published in fewer paper formats than 
authorized, and fewer copies of those remaining formats are produced. These differences reflect 
Member needs.25 At the same time, the variable distribution of paper copies and the lack of 
explicit, readily identifiable authority to disseminate electronic versions of some congressional 
                                                
24 Tracking changes to authorized printing levels of congressional documents is likely to yield incomplete information, 
since many of the records of changes are not readily available. 
25 E-mail communication with GPO staff, October 23, 2009. 
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Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress 
 
documents26 in statute governing congressional printing may call into question the capacity of 
current controls and processes to ensure systematic management by Congress of its published 
products. This in turn may raise concerns about the extent to which the public records are 
available and retrievable, and whether they will be permanently available in electronic form. 
Congressional Record 
The JCP controls the arrangement and style of the Congressional Record, and is to provide “that 
it shall be substantially a verbatim report of proceedings,” while taking “all needed action for the 
reduction of unnecessary bulk.”27 Current law authorizes the printing of the Congressional 
Record in three formats: a daily edition, a semimonthly edition, and a bound edition (the 
semimonthly edition is no longer produced). P.L. 103-40 requires GPO to make a version 
available online. The daily edition, comprising the proceedings of the previous day’s activities on 
the House and Senate floors, is typically available electronically by 6 AM and is distributed 
across Capitol Hill in paper form by 9 AM each day that Congress is in session.28 The authorized 
distribution of the daily edition and bound volumes is summarized in Table 14, in the data table 
section below. More than 23,000 copies of the daily edition are authorized in 44 U.S.C. 906. Of 
that total, approximately 21,600 (93.9%) are to be distributed to Congress. Congressional copies 
include those for congressional use, and copies for distribution to others, as directed by individual 
Members. They are charged to the GPO CPB account. Other copies for noncongressional 
recipients are charged to requesting agencies and subscribers through GPO’s revolving fund or 
the S&E account. 
Figure 2. Congressional Record, Daily Edition: Copies Produced FY1985-FY2009 
30,000
25,000
s
ie 20,000
p
o
 C 15,000
d
te
in 10,000
Pr
5,000
0
4
5
1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 199 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 200 2006 2007 2008 2009
Daily Edition Total
CPB Charge
Agencies and Subscriptions
 
Source: Government Printing Office, annual appropriations requests, various years. Data are taken from 
Congressional Printing and Binding budget review. 
                                                
26 The only congressional document explicitly mandated in statute to be distributed electronically is a version of the 
Congressional Record, pursuant to P.L. 103-40, 41 U.S.C. 4101. 
27 44 U.S.C. 901. 
28 U.S. Congress, House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Legislative Branch, Legislative Branch 
Appropriations for 2010, Fiscal Year 2010 Legislative Branch Appropriations Requests, 111th Cong., 1st sess., April 22, 
2009 (Washington: GPO, 2009), pp. 161-162. 
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Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress 
 
Notes: Al  publication data reported by GPO are approximate. GPO did not provide a breakdown of 
publication data by CPB and agency and subscription categories in 1985 and 1986. 
Figure 2 displays the change in the number of copies of the Congressional Record daily edition 
produced from FY1985-FY2009. Distribution of the paper version of the daily edition of the 
Congressional Record has declined every year since FY1985, with the total number of copies 
declining by 83.21% between FY1985 and FY2009. Since FY1987, the daily edition has been 
printed in lower quantities than authorized. The number of both CPB-charged copies and agency 
and subscription copies have declined since FY1987, the earliest year for which such data are 
available. Between FY1987 and FY2009, the number of copies charged to CPB fell 78.57%. 
During the same period the number of copies charged to agencies and subscriptions fell by 
80.91%. More recently, since FY2005, the number of copies has fallen 18.83% for CPB copies 
and 43.12% for agencies and subscription copies. Table 3 provides summary data of the changes 
in copies produced between FY1985 and FY2009. Table 4, in the data table section below, 
provides daily edition publication data and distribution to CPB and agency and subscription 
recipients between FY1987 and FY2009. 
Table 3. Congressional Record, Daily Edition: Percentage Change in Copies 
Produced, FY1985-FY2009 
Columns Report Percentage Change For Each Period Listed 
1985- 
1990- 
1996- 
2001- 
2005- 
1987- 
 
1989 
1995 
2000 
2005 
2009 
2009 
Total 
copies, 
Daily 
Edition 
-21.03% -13.71% -17.10% -19.41% -27.88% -79.31%a 
Charged to Congressional Printing & Binding 
—b -14.76 -8.76 -14.91 -18.83 -78.57 
Government Agencies & Subscriptions 
—b  -11.38 -25.82 -26.02 -43.12  -80.91 
Source: CRS computations, based on Government Printing Office data taken from the Congressional Printing 
and Binding budget review, in annual appropriations requests, various years, available in Table 8. Each column 
reports change for the period listed. 
a.  Change, 1985-2009 is -83.21%. 
b.  GPO did not provide information for this category in 1985 and 1986. 
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Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress 
 
Most recently, for FY2009, GPO reported the 
Figure 3. Distribution of the Congressional  printing of approximately 4,322 copies of the 
Record, Daily Edition 
daily edition, of which 3,082 (71.3%) copies 
Approximate Authorized and FY2009 Levels 
were charged to its CPB account.29 Figure 3 
provides the approximate authorized level set 
by statute for the daily edition of the 
Congressional Record, in proportion to the 
approximate distribution in FY2009. 
The decline in distribution of paper CPB 
copies of the Congressional Record daily 
edition in the past 16 years may be 
attributable in part to two events. The first 
was the introduction of electronic versions of 
material printed in the Congressional Record. 
In 1994, GPO first produced an electronic 
version of the daily edition as required by 
Congress under P.L. 103-40. This likely 
 
contributes to reductions in the number of 
Source: 44 U.S.C. 906, and GPO staff. 
printed copies that began as commercial firms 
began providing material from the Congressional Record to their subscribers in electronic format 
prior to 1994. The ongoing decline is presumably attributable to users turning to the electronic 
version in greater numbers over time. The second event occurred in 1996, when the House 
ordered the elimination of distribution of CPB copies issued by House Members “for constituent 
copies and by-law distribution of the Congressional Record.”30 The House’s actions appear to 
have resulted in a sharp decline in the number of copies produced by GPO from FY1996 to 
FY1997 and a corresponding decline in the number of copies distributed by Congress to other 
users. Figure 4 provides the distribution of CPB copies of the Congressional Record daily edition 
between 1987 and 1990. 
Similar differences between authorized levels and actual practices apply to other formats of the 
Congressional Record. For example, the bound edition is considered the official, permanent 
version, and is typically available within four years of the final adjournment of a Congress. 44 
U.S.C. 906 authorizes the printing of approximately 2,400 bound copies of the Congressional 
Record; in practice GPO prints about 345 copies, of which 92 are paid through CPB. The 
semimonthly edition is no longer printed, but GPO continues to produce a semimonthly index. 
                                                
29 See U.S. House, Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch, Legislative Branch 
Appropriations for 2009, (Washington: GPO, 2008), p. 777. 
30 U.S. Congress, House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Legislative, Legislative Branch 
Appropriations Bill, 1996, report to accompany H.R. 1854, 104th Cong., 1st sess., June 15, 1995, H.Rept. 104-141 
(Washington: GPO, 1995), p. 25. In the same bill, the House proposed the elimination of “the free distribution of copies 
of bills, reports, and other documents to non-Congressional recipients (other than federal depository libraries).” 
Following conference negotiations between the House and Senate, some of the distribution of congressional documents 
was preserved in the final version of the bill, as was distribution of constituent and by-law copies of the daily edition of 
the Congressional Record by Senators. The measure was subsequently vetoed by the President. Congress subsequently 
passed the legislative branch appropriations bill for 1996 as H.R. 2492, which was enacted as P.L. 104-53, the 
Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1996, 109 Stat. 514. It appears that the House proceeded to enforce the 
reductions in the distribution of the Congressional Record specified in H.Rept. 104-141 during FY1996. 
Congressional Research Service 
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Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress 
 
Figure 4. Congressional Record, Daily Edition: Distribution of Congressional Printing 
and Binding Copies, FY1987-FY2009 
16,000
14,000
12,000
es
pi 10,000
o
8,000
ted C
6,000
rin
P
4,000
2,000
0
88
0
3
6
07
9
1987 19
1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 200
2001 2002 200
2004 2005 200 20
2008 200
CPB Charge
Congressional Use
Congressional Distribution
 
Source: Government Printing Office, annual appropriations requests, various years. Data are taken from 
Congressional Printing and Binding budget review. 
Notes: Al  publication data reported by GPO are approximate. 
Table 4. Congressional Record, Daily Edition: Change in Copies and Distribution of 
Congressional Printing and Binding Copies, FY1987-FY2009 
1987-
1990- 
1996- 
2001- 
2005- 
1987- 
Change, Fiscal Years 
1989 
1995 
2000 
2005 
2009 
2009 
Charged to Congressional Printing and Binding  -2.00%  -14.76% 
-8.76% 
-14.91%  -18.83%  -78.57% 
Congressional 
Use 
-4.69%  -7.21%  -26.85% -13.62% -18.21% -67.66% 
Congressional Distribution 
0.00% 
-20.24%  57.76%  -17.10%  -19.93%  -86.69% 
Source: CRS computations, based on Government Printing Office data taken from the Congressional Printing 
and Binding budget review, in annual appropriations requests, various years, available in Table 8. Each column 
reports change for the period listed. 
Bills and Resolutions 
All bills and resolutions are printed at least once. Versions of measures that are considered in one 
chamber are authorized to be printed when introduced or submitted,31 reported to the chamber, 
and upon passage or adoption by the chamber.32 Under typical circumstances of consideration, 
bills and resolutions considered and passed by both chambers may be printed in seven different 
versions reflecting congressional action.33 Some measures considered by both chambers may 
                                                
31 While the process is essentially the same, bills are introduced, while resolutions are submitted. Similarly, bills that 
receive affirmative final approval are passed, while resolutions are adopted or agreed to. Laws governing the printing 
of bills and resolutions do not recognize these distinctions, and speak of the introduction and passage of all measures. 
32 44 U.S.C. 706. In addition, House Rule XII, cl. 7 (b)(4) provides that a measure may be reprinted at the written 
request of the sponsor if 20 or more cosponsors are added after the last printing of the measure. 
33 A measure that is passed by both chambers would be printed when it is introduced, reported, and passed in the 
originating chamber; transmitted to, and reported and passed in the second chamber; and in an enrolled version 
reflecting what was finally agreed to by both chambers. 
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Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress 
 
require fewer printings,34 while others require more.35 Measures enacted into law would be 
printed an additional three times.36 Figure 5 summarizes the various stages at which legislation 
and items adopted by Congress or enacted into law might be printed by GPO. The authorized 
numbers of copies, and their distribution to the House and Senate, as specified in statute, are 
summarized in Table 9, in the data table section below. In practice, the printing and distribution 
of measures varies by the type of measure. With the exception of simple and concurrent 
resolutions considered in the House, the number of all other legislative measures printed is less 
than authorized. Table 10 provides a summary of current distribution of printed copies of 
legislative measures. 
                                                
34 For example, S.J.Res. 3, 111th Congress, adjusting the rate of pay for the office of Secretary of Interior, and enacted 
as P.L. 111-1, required three printed versions during its consideration by Congress. H.R. 3996, 110th Congress, the 
Temporary Tax Relief Act of 2007, required six printed versions reflecting congressional activity prior to its enactment 
as P.L. 110-166. 
35 For example, H.R. 1, 111th Congress, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, required eight printed 
versions in the course of congressional consideration before it was enacted as P.L. 111-5. 
36 Printing of laws following congressional consideration includes copies for accuracy, slip laws, and final publication 
in the Statutes at Large. The costs of printing are charged to CPB. 
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Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress 
 
Figure 5. Stages at which Legislative Measures Might be Printed by GPO 
 
Source: CRS graphic based on requirements taken from 44 U.S.C., Sections 706, 709, 711, 713, 728, and 901. 
Notes: In addition to the statutory stages of printing, House Rule XII, cl. 7 (b)(4) provides that a measure may 
be reprinted at the written request of the sponsor if 20 or more cosponsors are added after the last printing of 
the measure. 
Reports and Documents 
The consideration of legislation, the conduct of oversight or investigations by House or Senate 
committees, or orders of either chamber could necessitate the publication of committee hearings, 
meeting transcripts, and documents; reports to accompany legislation; conference reports; and 
other products. The “usual numbers” of printed copies for various types of congressional reports 
and documents are specified in 44 U.S.C. 701, but have not been used in several years. Instead, 
GPO produces copies of reports or documents in the quantities directed by the House or Senate. 37 
It appears that copies of most types of documents and reports are printed in smaller increments 
                                                
37  E-mail communication with GPO staff, October 23, 2009. 
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Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress 
 
than authorized. Table 11 summarizes the authorized numbers of printed copies for documents, 
and reports on bills and joint resolutions in the data tables below. Table 12 provides the 
authorized numbers of copies of reports on private bills, and concurrent or simple resolutions. 
The actual numbers of copies of various categories of congressional reports and documents 
produced by GPO for FY2009 is summarized in Table 13. 
Discussion and Analysis 
Any further adjustment to statutory printing requirements may be formally authorized by 
legislation, committee order, or through report language. In practice, GPO notes that it prints the 
number of copies of congressional documents requested. In past debate on proposed amendments 
to appropriations bills to reduce or eliminate printing of the daily edition of the Congressional 
Record, congressional leaders have said that current levels of distribution to Congress are based 
on the availability of appropriations to cover the costs of congressional printing.38 If that is the 
case, the further reduction or elimination of printed copies may impair the ability of some 
Members from carrying out their duties. Congressional leaders have also noted that any efforts to 
change congressional printing practices must proceed through JCP rather than through 
appropriations bills.39 
Officials at GPO40 suggest that much of the reduction in the number of printed congressional 
documents could be ascribed to the use of newer printing technologies, and migration by 
congressional documents users to information technologies that provide congressional 
information through electronic means. Those transitions have generally resulted in a smaller work 
force at GPO, a reduction in the number of printed copies produced, arguably, reduced paper 
consumption, and smaller appropriations. While overall printing costs have gone down, it is not 
clear that continued reduction in print runs would result in significant reductions of costs. In line 
with printing industry practices, GPO estimates that prepress processes, actions that must be 
taken before multiple copies can be made,41 make up approximately two-thirds of the cost of 
producing the daily edition of the Congressional Record. The balance is spent on printing, 
binding, and mailing of the finished copies. For FY2009, GPO estimated the cost of producing 
one page of the Congressional Record at $727. The agency allocates $494 (67.95%) for prepress, 
which GPO refers to as “data preparation,”42 and $233 (32.05%) for printing. 
In their budget requests, GPO does not provide estimates for other congressional products broken 
down by the cost of prepress and printing processes. 43 Table 5 provides some the potential 
savings that might result by the elimination of the printed versions of several congressional 
                                                
38 See “Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2008,” Congressional Record, daily edition, June 22, 2007, pp. H6982-
H6983. 
39 See “Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2008,” Congressional Record, daily edition, June 22, 2007, pp. H6993-
H6994. 
40 This section is based in part on conversations with GPO legislative liaison staff between May 28 and June 6, 2008, 
except as noted otherwise. 
41 Prepress activities include content creation, page layout and composition, and plate making. For an overview of the 
printing process, see Kenneth F. Hird and Charles E. Finley, Offset Lithographic Technology, 4th ed. (Tinley Park, IL: 
The Goodheart-Willcox Company, Inc., 2010), pp. 114-417. 
42 The prepress cost includes the cost of converting the material into the format for the bound edition. 
43 In its cost estimates, GPO provides a unit cost per page which includes the cost of printing all copies charged to CPB. 
Congressional Research Service 
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Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress 
 
products, based on the distribution of prepress and printing cost estimates for the Congressional 
Record. Since most of the prepress costs would be necessary to make the Congressional Record 
and other congressional documents available to users, whether in electronic or printed form, the 
extent of any statutory reduction in authorized printing levels or further reductions in the actual 
number of copies that GPO produces may result in somewhat modest cost savings. Any such cost 
savings may come at the expense of denying congressional materials to users who prefer the 
paper-based documents, or those who do not have access to electronic versions. 
Table 5. Estimated Prepress and Printing Costs per Page of Selected Congressional 
Publications, FY2009 
Category GPO 
Estimatesa Prepressb Printingc 
Congressional Record, Daily Editiond $727 
$494a $233a 
Congressional Record Index 
$353 
$240 
$113 
Miscellaneous Publicationse $139 
$94 
$45 
Calendarsf $110 
$75 
$35 
Bills, Resolutions & Amendments 
$50 
$34 
$16 
Committee Reports 
$95 
$65 
$30 
Documents $31 
$21 
$10 
Hearings $64 
$43 
$21 
Committee Prints 
$75 
$51 
$24 
Source: GPO, Budget Justification, Fiscal Year 2010, p. E-9, available at http://www.gpo.gov/pdfs/congressional/
Budget-Justification_2010.pdf, and CRS calculations. 
Notes: Prepress and Printing data are based on 67.95% and 32.05%, respectively, of GPO estimates for each 
product category. This distribution is based on estimated prepress and printing costs for the daily edition of the 
Congressional Record, as reported by GPO. The prepress cost is determined in part by the original format of the 
material to be printed, which varies according to the type of document produced. Consequently, the actual 
prepress costs of documents that are handled differently than the prepress process for the Congressional Record 
may vary. 
a.  GPO estimates for FY2009.  
b.  Prepress costs would apply to documents prepared for distribution in electronic and printed forms. Some 
of the prepress costs, such as plate making, would be eliminated if printed copies were no longer produced. 
GPO does not provide detailed estimates of the costs of individual prepress processes, but it appears that 
the actual cost of prepress processes would be somewhat lower than the table suggests.  
c.  Printing costs represent potential savings if printing is eliminated.  
d.  Includes data preparation for the bound edition.  
e.  Includes the Congressional Directory, House and Senate Journals, memorial addresses, nominations, serial 
sets, and unnumbered publications.  
f. 
House and Senate business and committee calendars.  
Any effort to reduce the availability of centrally produced printed versions of congressional 
documents in favor of electronic delivery and storage may also raise concerns about the 
preservation and long-term ability to retrieve congressional records and the need for reliable 
backup systems. While some of the printed records of Congress dating back to the First Congress 
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Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress 
 
(1789-1791) are retrievable in paper form, concerns have been raised about the ability to retrieve 
some electronic records created in the past few decades.44 Other related challenges might include 
the costs of document conversion as electronic document creation, management, and storage 
technologies evolve in a way that might not incorporate records and documents created with 
obsolete systems. Taken together, these concerns might raise questions about the long-term costs 
of a “paperless” system in comparison to the current hybrid process of making documents 
available in electronic and paper form. 
Of particular concern in the congressional environment could be the preservation of an official, 
definitive version of a document that is widely accepted by lawmakers, congressional officials, 
the executive branch, the courts, and the American public. Currently, GPO provides hard copies 
of the Congressional Record, legislative measures at various stages of consideration, related 
congressional documents, and laws passed by Congress. Similar materials are available 
electronically through the Legislative Information System (LIS) for congressional users, and 
through THOMAS, maintained by the Library of Congress,45 for the general public.46 
Nevertheless, congressional rules require legislative measures to be signed by the Member 
sponsoring them before introduction, and the preservation of those original, official documents by 
congressional officials.47 The bound version of the Congressional Record, which may appear up 
to four years after the conclusion of a Congress, is considered, the official, archival product. Any 
transition to a more integrated use of electronic documents would likely need to take into account 
document verification and authentication procedures to ensure the provenance and accuracy of 
any official record of congressional activity, and facilitate the acceptance of those materials as 
legitimate. 
Potential Options for Congress 
Depending on the degree to which Congress believes that action on matters relating to 
congressional printing activities might be necessary or desirable, it might consider the following 
options to maintain the status quo, conduct studies, or consider legislation. 
Maintain The Status Quo 
As information publishing and retrieval technologies evolve and demand for paper copies 
declines, congressional users may continue to access documents through electronic means in 
greater numbers than through the use of GPO-printed paper copies. This could continue the 
                                                
44 See Kenneth Thibodeau, “If you build it, will it fly? Criteria for success in a digital repository,” Journal of Digital 
Information, vol. 8, no. 2 (2007), at http://journals.tdl.org/jodi/article/viewArticle/197/174; Giovanna Pattersona and J. 
Timothy Sprehe, “Principal Challenges Facing Electronic Records Management in Federal Agencies Today,” 
Government Information Quarterly, Vol. 19, Issue 3, 2002, Pages 307-315; and U.S. General Accounting Office, 
“Electronic Records: Management and Preservation Pose Challenges,” Statement of Linda D. Koontz before the House 
Committee on Government Reform, Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations, 
and the Census, July 8, 2003, available at http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d03936t.pdf. 
45 http://thomas.loc.gov/. 
46 LIS, which is available to congressional users, and THOMAS, which is available to the general public, access a 
common body of information through different user interfaces. 
47 Similarly, there are statutory protocols designating the dispositions of original, signed copies of measures enacted 
into law, including 1 U.S.C. 106, 1 U.S.C. 106b, and 1 U.S.C. 107. 
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Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress 
 
downward trend in the number of copies of congressional documents GPO provides, which likely 
would produce marginal reductions in printing costs. It is unlikely that the number of printed 
copies could be eliminated without legislation, since a number of paper copies must be preserved 
for archival purposes, and some users may prefer printed formats. If no congressional action is 
taken, it appears likely that GPO will continue to integrate newer prepress technologies as they 
become available. These changes might, or might not, contribute further to reductions in printing 
costs over the long term. 
Conduct Studies 
Congress might consider authorizing JCP, the Advisory Committee on the Records of Congress,48 
or another entity to conduct studies related to congressional printing policies. Potential topics 
might include the following: 
•  how users access congressional documents; 
•  whether current distribution practices for GPO-printed and electronic documents 
are effective or efficient; 
•  the costs of creating paper and electronic documents, including retention of 
archival documents, and disposal of obsolete materials; 
•  the extent to which current congressional printing and document distribution 
practices support Congress in its work; and 
•  what potential changes to congressional rules and practices might be necessary if 
Congress were to transition to “paperless” operations. 
The entity could be charged to report findings, or recommend potential administrative or 
legislative actions. 
Consider Legislation 
Congress might amend current printing authorizations to reflect current printing practices. As 
written, 44 U.S.C. 906, regarding the Congressional Record, and 44 U.S.C. 701, authorizing a 
“usual number” of congressional documents and reports, provides authorization for the printing 
and distribution of thousands of copies more than GPO produces. Entities that no longer exist, 
including the Governor of the Canal Zone and national homes for disabled volunteer soldiers, are 
technically entitled to receive copies of one or more versions of the Congressional Record. Some 
officials, including the Delegates from American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern 
Mariana Islands, are not authorized to receive copies in the manner specified for other Members 
of Congress. Other recipients may no longer have a need for as many printed copies of 
congressional documents as they are authorized to receive. On the other hand, the relatively small 
number of copies of the daily and bound editions, and the elimination of the semimonthly edition, 
suggest that authorized recipients who want or need the Congressional Record may either have 
adequate access or no longer require access. Similar provisions may apply regarding 
congressional reports and documents. 
                                                
48 See 44 U.S.C. 2701 et seq. 
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Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress 
 
In addition, Congress might consider enacting more explicit statutory instructions defining the 
expectations for the production and dissemination of congressional information by GPO or other 
official entities. 
Congressional Printing: Data Tables 
Appropriations for the Government Printing Office, Congressional 
Printing and Binding Account 
Table 6. Government Printing Office, Congressional Printing and Binding Account 
Appropriations, FY1985-FY2009 
Nominal and Constant Dollars, Thousands of Dollars 
CPB Appropriation  
GPO Appropriation 
Fiscal Year 
Nominal $ 
Nominal $ 
CPB 2009 $ 
GPO 2009 $ 
CPB % 
2009 $96,828 
$140,567  — — 
68.88% 
2008 $89,775 
$124,688 
$89,996 
$124,996 
72.00% 
2007 $87,209 
$120,213 
$90,781 
$125,137 
72.55% 
2006 $87,209 
$122,193 
$93,366 
$130,820 
71.37% 
2005 $88,090 
$119,787 
$97,352 
$132,382 
73.54% 
2004 $90,573 
$134,767 
$103,487 
$153,983 
67.21% 
2003 $89,557 
$119,025 
$105,051 
$139,618 
75.24% 
2002 $81,000 
$114,639 
$97,179 
$137,537 
70.66% 
2001 $71,305 
$99,198 $86,900 
$120,894 
71.88% 
2000 $73,297 
$103,169 
$91,870 
$129,311 
71.05% 
1999 $74,465 
$103,729 
$96,471 
$134,383 
71.79% 
1998 $81,669a $110,746 
$108,141 
$146,643 
73.74% 
1997 $81,669 
$110,746 
$109,825 
$148,927 
73.74% 
1996 $83,770 
$114,077 
$115,235 
$156,926 
73.43% 
1995 $89,724 
$121,931 
$127,070 
$172,683 
73.59% 
1994 $88,404 
$117,486 
$128,749 
$171,103 
75.25% 
1993 $89,591 
$118,673 
$133,819 
$177,257 
75.49% 
1992 $91,591 
$118,673 
$140,901 
$182,564 
77.18% 
1991 $77,365 
$103,110 
$122,599 
$163,397 
75.03% 
1990 $70,468b $98,363 
$116,369 
$162,434 
71.64% 
1989 $72,000a $97,155 
$125,323 
$169,108 
74.11% 
1988 $70,359 
$89,521 
$128,367 
$163,328 
78.59% 
1987 $72,700  no 
reportc $138,126 — — 
1986 $64,936d $102,472 
$127,878 
$201,797 
63.37% 
1985 $80,800 
$124,004 
$162,076 
$248,739 
65.16% 
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Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress 
 
Source: Actual appropriations reported by GPO in annual appropriations requests, in Summary of 
Appropriations Estimates tables, various years, and CRS calculations. 
Notes: In different budget requests, GPO may report different data for some years. These data generally are 
taken from the appropriations request after the year reported, e.g. 2009 data are taken from the FY2010 budget 
request. These data may not include all sequestrations, restrictions, reductions, rescissions, transfers from the 
GPO Revolving Fund to which the GPO appropriations may have been subject, or supplemental appropriations. 
a.  Includes transfer from GPO Revolving Fund. 
b.  After sequestration, restriction on funds, and reduction. 
c.  In its FY1988 funding request, GPO did not report an overal  appropriation for FY1987, in part because 
FY1987 funding processes were concluded after FY1988 request materials were prepared for submission to 
Congress. 
d.  After sequestration. 
 
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Congressional Printing: Page Volume 
Table 7. Congressional Printing and Binding, Page Volume of Selected Categories, FY1985-FY2010 
Document 
Bills,  
Fiscal 
Bound 
Daily 
Miscellaneous 
Envelopes 
Resolutions & 
Committee
Committee
Year 
Recorda 
Record 
Publications 
& Franks 
Calendars 
Amendments 
Reports Documents 
Hearings  Prints 
2010b 
— 
34,000 30,000 13,300,000 
33,300 142,800  39,300 31,600 
308,200 
21,700 
2009 — 
30,000 33,000 11,600,000 
21,800 149,300  42,100 34,600 
302,300 
33,200 
2008 — 
32,000 28,800 13,000,000 
30,000 122,500  40,900 30,000 
291,000 
23,000 
2007 — 
29,100 31,000 12,700,000 
20,600 165,600  36,400 38,600 
377,397 
39,700 
2006 — 
32,700 30,700 10,500,000 
30,700 114,600  33,000 35,200 
354,475 
26,700 
2005 — 
28,500 26,000  9,000,000 
17,000 138,000  39,000 33,000 
271,300 
34,000 
2004 — 
30,000 30,000 15,000,000 
34,000 106,000  36,000 42,000 
323,807 
34,000 
2003 — 
30,000 30,000 17,000,000 
25,000  97,000  39,000 43,000 
301,424 
44,000 
2002 — 
30,000 32,000 22,000,000 
30,000 109,000  49,000 38,000 
278,000 
30,000 
2001 — 
24,000 92,000 18,000,000 
29,000 105,000  39,000 30,000 
273,000 
43,000 
2000 
30,000 
29,000 54,000 20,000,000 
31,000  80,000  42,000 50,000 
400,000 
36,000 
1999 
30,000 
29,500 41,000 16,000,000 
18,000  85,000  39,000 50,000 
305,000 
39,000 
1998 
38,000 
29,500 40,000 24,000,000 
25,000  71,000  48,000 51,500 
356,000 
25,500 
1997 
30,000 
22,200 43,000 28,000,000 
19,000  96,000  37,000 33,000 
410,000 
54,000 
1996 
37,000 
39,000 40,000 30,000,000 
33,000 117,000  57,000 32,000 
455,000 
34,000 
1995 
38,000 
31,500 97,000 27,000,000 
22,000  99,000  38,000 24,700 
510,000 
78,000 
1994 
38,000 
37,500 47,000 42,200,000 
30,300 162,600  47,000 32,200 
460,000 
41,000 
1993 
38,000 
29,968 38,897 27,120,000 
22,871 110,448  38,103 35,853 
429,911 
69,557 
1992 
42,160 
42,159 40,982 37,715,000 
41,868 200,055  77,862 41,128 
515,540 
48,469 
1991 
38,000 
36,790 55,880 39,400,000 
21,910 137,660  50,700 34,610 
586,910 
67,120 
1990 
39,000 
37,000 51,000 46,400,000 
33,000 110,000  43,000 31,000 
553,000 
55,000 
1989 
39,000 
30,000 76,000 41,000,000 
26,000 112,000  33,000 27,000 
532,000 
60,000 
CRS-20 
 
Document 
Bills,  
Fiscal 
Bound 
Daily 
Miscellaneous 
Envelopes 
Resolutions & 
Committee
Committee
Year 
Recorda 
Record 
Publications 
& Franks 
Calendars 
Amendments 
Reports Documents 
Hearings  Prints 
1988 
37,000 
40,800 54,000 38,500,000 
33,000  96,000  39,000 30,000 
495,000 
54,000 
1987 
41,000 
33,500 69,000 46,000,000 
24,000 107,000  33,000 25,000 
538,000 
46,000 
1986 
42,000 
42,331 63,000 63,000,000 
35,000  92,000  46,000 29,000 
547,000 
68,000 
1985 
41,000 
31,001 69,000 49,000,000 
32,000  95,000  38,000 33,000 
576,000 
90,000 
Source: Government Printing Office, annual appropriations requests, various years. Data are taken from Congressional Printing and Binding Appropriation Volume 
Increase or Decrease tables. This table excludes data provided by GPO in some years, including Daily Record data production (which typically is the same as the Daily 
Record), record index, record indexers, U.S. Code and Supplements, miscel aneous printing and binding, and details to Congress. 
Notes: Data units are original, individual pages produced in each category, except document envelopes and franks, which are reported by GPO in units of 1,000. The data 
for document envelopes and franks are converted to more closely reflect page counts. At different times, GPO may report different data for some years. These data 
general y are taken from the appropriations request after the year reported, e.g. 2009 data are taken from the FY2010 budget request. Data for 2010 are estimated by 
GPO. 
a.  GPO did not provide data for the bound edition of the Congressional Record after 2000. 
b.  GPO estimates. 
 
CRS-21 
Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress 
 
Congressional Record, Daily Edition: Publication and 
Congressional Distribution Data 
Table 8. Congressional Record, Daily Edition: Copies Produced and Distribution, 
FY1985-FY2009 
Charged to 
CPB 
Congressional 
CPB 
Distributed by 
Fiscal 
Total Copies, 
Govt. Agencies &
Printing and 
Distributed 
Congressional 
Year 
Daily Edition 
Subscriptions 
Binding 
to Congress 
Instruction 
2009 4,551 
1,336 
3,215 
2,070 
1,145 
2008 4,759 
1,474 
3,285 
2,053 
1,232 
2007 5,604 
1,776 
3,828 
2,521 
1,307 
2006 5,360 
1,758 
3,602 
2,325 
1,277 
2005 6,310 
2,349 
3,961 
2,531 
1,430 
2004 6,595 
2,457 
4,138 
2,625 
1,513 
2003 7,122 
2,787 
4,335 
2,734 
1,601 
2002 7,541 
2,886 
4,655 
2,930 
1,725 
2001 7,830 
3,175 
4,655 
2,930 
1,725 
2000 8,800 
3,850 
4,950 
3,120 
1,830 
1999 9,220 
4,265 
4,955 
2,960 
1,995 
1998 9,160 
4,190 
4,970 
2,975 
1,995 
1997 10,412 
4,932 
5,480 
3,255 
2,225 
1996 10,615 
5,190 
5,425 
4,265 
1,160 
1995 18,120 
5,760 
12,360 
5,660 
6,700 
1994 18,280 
5,700 
12,580 
5,800 
6,780 
1993 19,500 
6,040 
13,460 
6,010 
7,450 
1992 20,000 
6,300 
13,700 
8,000 
5,700 
1991 20,400 
6,300 
14,100 
6,300 
7,800 
1990 21,000 
6,500 
14,500 
6,100 
8,400 
1989 21,400 
6,700 
14,700 
6,100 
8,600 
1988 21,700 
6,900 
14,800 
6,500 
8,300 
1987 22,000 
7,000 
15,000 
6,400 
8,600 
1986 26,200a — 
—  —  — 
1985 27,100a — 
—  —  — 
Source: Government Printing Office, annual appropriations requests, various years. Data are taken from 
Congressional Printing and Binding budget review. 
Notes: Al  publication data reported by GPO are approximate. Total copies are the sum of Government 
Agencies and Subscription copies, and copies charged to Congressional Printing and Binding. CPB, Distributed to 
Congress and CPB, Distributed per Congressional Instruction rows provide distribution of Charged to 
Congressional Printing and Binding copies. 
Congressional Research Service 
22 
Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress 
 
a.  Beginning in 1987, GPO changed the manner in which it reported the printing and distribution of the daily 
edition of the Congressional Record. Distribution data prior to 1987 are not readily comparable to current 
agency practices. 
Legislative Measures 
Table 9. Authorized Distribution of Legislative Measures 
Copies 
Measure 
Authorized Recipient 
Distribution 
Bills and joint resolutions, each 
625 
Senate document room 
225 
chambera 
  
Secretary 
of 
Senate 
15 
 
 
House document room 
385 
Simple and concurrent resolutionsb 
260 
Senate document room 
135 
 
 
Secretary of the Senate 
15 
 
 
House document room 
100 
  
Superintendent 
of 
10 
Documents 
Senate private bil c 
295 
Senate document room 
170 
 
 
Secretary of the Senate 
15 
 
 
House document room 
100 
  
Superintendent 
of 
10 
Documents 
House private billd 
260 
Senate document room 
135 
 
 
Secretary of the Senate 
15 
 
 
House document room 
100 
  
Superintendent 
of 
10 
Documents 
Source: 44 U.S.C. 706. 
a.  44 U.S.C. 706 requires that “unless specially ordered by either House,” bills and joint resolutions “shall be 
printed only when referred to a committee, when favorably reported back, and after their passage by either 
House.” 
b.  44 U.S.C. 706 provides for the printing of concurrent and simple resolutions “when reported, and after 
their passage by either House.” 
c.  44 U.S.C. 706 requires the printing of a Senate private bill when it is introduced, reported and passed. 
d.  44 U.S.C. 706 requires the printing of a House private bill when it is introduced, reported and passed. 
Congressional Research Service 
23 
Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress 
 
Table 10. GPO Distribution of Legislative Measures, FY2009 
Difference
from 
GPO Category 
House 
Senate 
Committeesa Oversb 
Authorized 
Public Bill, Introduced or Referred in the 
200 25 
75 
54  -271 
House 
Joint Resolution, Introduced or Referred in 
150 25 
75 
54  -321 
the House 
Public Bills and Joint Resolutions, Reported in 
400 25 
75 
54  -71 
House 
Private Bills Introduced in the House 
95 
20 
75 
66 
-4 
Private Bills Reported or Referred in the 
95 20 
75 
36  -34 
House 
Simple and Concurrent Resolutions in the 
300 25 
75 
54  194 
House 
Public Bills in the Senate 40 
50 
50 
64 
-421 
Joint Resolutions in the Senate 
40 
50 
50 
64 
-421 
Public Bills and Joint Resolutions, Referred in 
40 50 
50 
64  -421 
the Senate 
Private Bills Introduced in the Senate 
10 
20 
— 
51 -214 
Private Bills Reported or Referred in the 
50 50 
— 
31 -164 
Senate 
Simple and Concurrent Resolutions in the 
25 25 
75 
79  -421 
Senate 
Amendments in the Senate 
25 
200 
50 
79 
— 
Source: Information provided by GPO for FY2009. Data in the table include copies billed to GPO’s 
Congressional Printing and Binding (CPB) appropriation, which pays for the cost of preparing congressional 
documents for printing (including the prepress, or front-end cost) and for the number of copies distributed to 
congressional recipients. Excludes the number of copies billed to federal agency requisitions, the Salaries and 
Expenses (S&E) appropriation, and reimbursements from public sales. “—” indicates no distribution to that 
recipient. 
a.  GPO does not specify a distribution plan for committee copies.  
b.  Extra copies to replace damaged or missing copies, and billed by GPO to the CPB account.  
Congressional Documents and Reports 
Table 11. Authorized “Usual Number” of House  
and Senate Documents and Reports 
 
House 
Senate 
Recipient Unbound 
Bound 
Unbound 
Bound 
Senate document room 
150 
15 
220 
— 
Secretary of the Senate 
10 
— 
10 
— 
House document room 
NTE 500 
— 
— 
15 
Congressional Research Service 
24 
Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress 
 
 
House 
Senate 
Recipient Unbound 
Bound 
Unbound 
Bound 
Clerk of the House 
20 
— 
NTE 500 
— 
Library of Congress 
10a NTE 
150b 10  — 
House Library 
— 
15 
10c NTE 
25a 
Superintendent of Documents 
— 
as requiredd —  — 
Department of Statee 20 
 
20 
 
Source: Authorized in 44 U.S.C. 701(b), except as noted otherwise. 
Notes: “—” indicates no authorization in that category. “NTE” indicates statutory authorization not to exceed 
the number specified. 
a.  Authorized in 44 U.S.C. 1718. 
b.  44 U.S.C. 701 provides House documents to the Library for distribution as specified in 44 U.S.C. 1718. 
c.  44 U.S.C. 701 provides Senate documents to the Library for distribution as specified in 44 U.S.C. 1718. 
d.  44 U.S.C. 701 (b) authorizes the printing of “as many copies as may be required for distribution to State 
libraries and designated depositories.” 
e.  44 U.S.C. 715. 
Table 12. Authorized Recipients and Copies of Reports on Private Bills,  
and Concurrent or Simple Resolutions 
Recipient 
Senate Measures 
House Measures 
Senate document room 
220 
135 
Secretary of the Senate 
15 
15 
House document room 
100 
100 
Superintendent of Documents 
10 
10 
Library of Congressa 10 
10 
Source: Source: 44 U.S.C. 701, except as noted otherwise. 
a.  Authorized in 44 U.S.C. 1718. 
Table 13. GPO Distribution of Congressional Documents and Reports, FY2009 
House 
GPO Category 
Housea 
Clerk Senate 
Committees 
Oversb 
House Report 
500c 
— 
50 150 55 
House Report, Simple Resolution 
300d —  25 
75 
55 
House Report, Concurrent Resolution 
200e —  50 
75 
80 
House Report, Private Bill 
95 
— 
25 
75 
39 
House Document 
60 
5 
25 
75 
79 
House Document, Appropriationsf 60 
5 
25 
145g 59 
Senate Report 
40 
— 
100 
150 
65 
Senate Report, Simple Resolution 
40 
— 
100 
— 
65 
Congressional Research Service 
25 
Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress 
 
House 
GPO Category 
Housea 
Clerk 
Senate Committees Oversb 
Senate Report, Concurrent Resolution 
40 
— 
200 
— 
65 
Senate Report, Private Bill 
25 
— 
25 
— 
34 
Senate Document 
30 
5 
150 
— 
59 
Senate Document, Appropriationsf 
— 5 150 120h 69 
Source: Information provided by GPO for FY2009. 
Notes: Data include copies billed to GPO’s Congressional Printing and Binding (CPB) appropriation, which pays 
for the cost of preparing congressional documents for printing (including the prepress or front-end cost) and for 
the number of copies distributed to congressional recipients. Excludes copies billed to federal agency 
requisitions, the Salaries and Expenses (S&E) appropriation, and reimbursements from public sales. “—” indicates 
no distribution to that recipient. 
a.  GPO delivers all House copies to room B-25 of the Ford House Office Building, except as noted. 
b.  Extra copies to replace damaged or missing copies. 
c.  GPO delivers 200 copies to room B-106, Cannon House Office Building, and 300 copies to room B-25 of 
the Ford House Office Building. 
d.  GPO delivers 150 copies to room B-106, Cannon House Office Building, and room B-25 of the Ford House 
Office Building. 
e.  GPO delivers 50 copies to the Legislative Resources Center, room B-106, Cannon House Office Building, 
and 150 copies to room B-25 of the Ford House Office Building. 
f. 
This category appears to fulfill the requirements of 44 U.S.C. 725 requiring the printing of the “usual 
number” of annual statements of appropriations prepared pursuant to 2 U.S.C. 105. 
g.  Distribution is specified as 75 copies for the House Committee on Appropriations, and 70 copies for the 
Senate Committee on Appropriations. 
h.  Distribution is specified as 50 copies for the House Committee on Appropriations, and 70 copies for the 
Senate Committee on Appropriations. 
 
Congressional Research Service 
26 
 
Table 14. Authorized Distribution of the Congressional Record 
Daily Edition and Bound Copies 
Daily 
Daily 
Edition 
Edition 
Bound 
Bound 
Recipient 
Copies 
Total 
Copies 
Total 
Notes 
Vice President 
100 
100 
5 
5 
 
Senators, each 
50 
5,000 
5 
500 
Copies of the daily edition may be transferred only to public agencies and 
institutions. 
Representatives, each 
37 
16,095 
3 
1,305 
Of the total, 34 may be transferred only to public agencies and institutions. 
Of the remaining three copies, one each is delivered to the Member’s 
residence, office, and the Capitol. 
Resident Commissioner 
37 
37 
3 
3 
Of the daily edition total, 34 may be transferred only to public agencies and 
institutions. Of the remaining three copies, one each is delivered to the 
Member’s residence, office, and the Capitol. 
Delegate, District of Columbia 
34 
34 
— 
— 
May be transferred only to public agencies and institutions. 
Delegate, Guam 
34 
34 
— 
— 
May be transferred only to public agencies and institutions. 
Delegate, Virgin Islands 
34 
34 
— 
— 
May be transferred only to public agencies and institutions. 
Former Senators, Representatives, and 
1 
U 
— 
— 
Copies are provided upon request to the Public Printer. 
Resident Commissioners, each 
House Committees, one each 
1 
22 
— 
— 
For a list of House Committees, see http://www.house.gov/house/
CommitteeWWW.shtml. 
Senate Committees, one each 
1 
20 
— 
— 
For a list of Senate Committees, see http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/
committees/d_three_sections_with_teasers/committees_home.htm. 
Joint Committees, each 
2 
U 
1 
4 
Distribution is as may be designated by JCP. Totals include distributions for 
the Joint Committees on Printing, Taxation and the Library and the Joint 
Economic Committee.  
Joint Committee on Printing 
— 
— 
NTE 100 
NTE 100   
CRS-27 
 
Daily 
Daily 
Edition 
Edition 
Bound 
Bound 
Recipient 
Copies 
Total 
Copies 
Total Notes 
Congressional Commissions 
1 
up to 82 
— 
— 
As many as 82 currently active entities have membership provisions 
requiring participation by Members of Congress. An indeterminate number 
of those entities may be considered by some to be “congressional 
commissions.” See CRS Report RL33313, Congressional Membership and 
Appointment Authority to Advisory Commissions, Boards, and Groups, by Matthew 
Eric Glassman, Congressional Membership and Appointment Authority to 
Advisory Commissions, Boards, and Groups, by Matthew Eric Glassman. 44 
U.S.C. 906 does not specify what entities qualify as commissions for 
purposes of Congressional Record distribution. As a consequence, the 
authorized distribution of the daily edition could fal  in the range of zero to 
82. 
Office of the Speaker of the House 
6 
6 
— 
— 
 
House Clerk 
25 
37 
2 
2 
 
House Clerk 
NTE 50 
NTE 50 
— 
— 
Authorized copies “for official use.” 
House Clerk 
NTE 75 
NTE 75 
— 
— 
For use on the House floor. 
House Sergeant at Arms 
25 
25 
— 
— 
 
House Parliamentarian 
6 
6 
2 
2 
 
House Legislative Counsel 
3 
3 
1 
1 
 
House Library 
5 
5 
NTE 28 
NTE 28 
Eight copies of the bound version may be bound in a style and manner 
approved by JCP. 
House Official Reporters of Debate 
15 
15 
3 
3 
 
House Committee Stenographers 
4 
4 
— 
— 
 
House Document Room Superintendent 
3 
3 
1 
1 
 
House Publications Distribution Service, 
1 2 — — 
 
Foreman and Superintendent, each 
Chaplain 
1 
1 
— 
— 
The statute does not explicitly identify House or Senate officials. 
Postmaster 
1 
1 
— 
— 
The statute does not explicitly identify House or Senate officials. 
Sergeant At Arms 
1 
1 
— 
— 
The statute does not explicitly identify House or Senate officials. 
Senate Secretary 
25 
25 
2 
2 
 
Senate Secretary 
NTE 35 
NTE 35 
— 
— 
Authorized copies “for official use.” 
CRS-28 
 
Daily 
Daily 
Edition 
Edition 
Bound 
Bound 
Recipient 
Copies 
Total 
Copies 
Total Notes 
Senate Sergeant at Arms 
25 
25 
2 
2 
  
Senate Sergeant at Arms 
NTE 50 
NTE 50 
— 
— 
For use on the Senate floor. 
Senate Legislative Counsel 
3 
3 
1 
1 
 
Senate Secretaries of the Majority and 
1 2 — — 
 
Minority, one each 
Senate Official Reporters of Debate 
15 
15 
3 
3 
 
Senate Library 
3 
3 
NTE 15 
NTE 15 
 
Senate Document Room Superintendent 
3 
3 
1 
1 
 
Senate Service Department, Foreman 
1 
1 
— 
— 
 
Senate Service Department, 
1 1 — — 
 
Superintendent 
Office of the Congressional Record Index 
10 
10 
— 
— 
 
Library of Congress 
NTE 
NTE 145 
150 
150 
 
145 
Architect of the Capitol 
3 
3 
1 
1 
 
Public Printer 
NTE 75 
NTE 75 
2 
2 
 
U.S. Botanic Garden 
2 
2 
— 
— 
 
President of the United States 
10 
10 
1 
1 
 
Office of the Vice President 
6 
6 
— 
— 
 
Former Presidents 
1 
4 
— 
— 
 
Former Vice Presidents 
1 
5 
— 
— 
 
Executive Department Library, each 
2 
40 
1 
20 
Based on executive departments listed in The United States Manual, 2008-
2009 (Washington: GPO, 2008), pp. vii-viii. 
Department of State, for U.S. Embassies 
NTE 
NTE 150 
— 
— 
 
and Legations Abroad 
150 
Archivist of the United States 
5 
5 
2 
2 
 
CRS-29 
 
Daily 
Daily 
Edition 
Edition 
Bound 
Bound 
Recipient 
Copies 
Total 
Copies 
Total Notes 
Federal Independent Office, each 
2 
218 
1 
109 
Based on independent establishment, government corporations, boards, 
commissions, and committees listed in The United States Manual, 2008-2009 
(Washington: GPO, 2008), pp. viii-ix and 555-558. 
Smithsonian Institution Library 
2 
2 
1 
1 
 
Naval Observatory Library 
2 
2 
1 
1 
 
Armed Forces Retirement Home, each 
1 
2 
— 
— 
Of the two armed forces retirement homes, only the Washington, DC 
facility 
facility is currently operational. The Gulfport, MS, facility was destroyed by 
Hurricane Katrina and is being rebuilt. 
National Homes for Disabled Volunteer 
1 
U 
— 
— 
National Homes for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers have been incorporated 
Soldiers, each facility 
into facilities maintained by the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. The 
number of facilities of this type could not be determined. 
State Soldiers’ Homes, each 
1 
133 
— 
— 
 
Superintendent of Documents 
NA 
U 
NA 
U 
Authorizes “as many daily and bound copies as may be required for 
Distribution to Depository Libraries 
distribution to depository libraries.” 
Chief Justice of the United States 
1 
1 
— 
— 
 
United States Supreme Court Associate 
1 8 — — 
 
Justices, each 
Marshal of the Supreme Court 
2 
2 
— 
— 
 
Clerk of the Supreme Court 
2 
2 
— 
— 
 
United States district judges 
678 
678 
— 
— 
Copies are furnished “upon request to a member of Congress and 
notification by the Member to the Public Printer,” in addition to those 
authorized to be furnished to Members under 44 U.S.C. 906. 
United States circuit judges 
179 
179 
— 
— 
Copies are furnished “upon request to a member of Congress and 
notification by the Member to the Public Printer,” in addition to those 
authorized to be furnished to Members under 44 U.S.C. 906. 
United States Court of Federal Claims 
16 
16 
— 
— 
Copies are furnished “upon request to a member of Congress and 
chief judge and each associate judge 
notification by the Member to the Public Printer,” in addition to those 
authorized to be furnished to Members under 44 U.S.C. 906. 
United States Court of International 
9 
9 
— 
— 
Copies are furnished “upon request to a member of Congress and 
Trade chief judge and each associate judge 
notification by the Member to the Public Printer,” in addition to those 
authorized to be furnished to Members under 44 U.S.C. 906. 
CRS-30 
 
Daily 
Daily 
Edition 
Edition 
Bound 
Bound 
Recipient 
Copies 
Total 
Copies 
Total Notes 
Tax Court of the United States 
19 
19 
— 
— 
Copies are furnished “upon request to a member of Congress and 
chief judge and each associate judge 
notification by the Member to the Public Printer ...,” in addition to those 
authorized to be furnished to Members under 44 U.S.C. 906. 
United States Court of Appeals for 
7 
7 
— 
— 
Copies are furnished “upon request to a member of Congress and 
Veterans 
notification by the Member to the Public Printer,” in addition to those 
Claims, chief judge and each associate 
authorized to be furnished to Members under 44 U.S.C. 906. 
judge 
United States Court of Appeals for the 
5 
5 
— 
— 
Copies are furnished “upon request to a member of Congress and 
Armed 
notification by the Member to the Public Printer ...,” in addition to those 
Forces, chief judge and each associate 
authorized to be furnished to Members under 44 U.S.C. 906. 
judge 
U.S. Supreme Court Library 
2 
2 
NTE 5 
NTE 5 
 
U.S. Court of Federal Claims Library 
1 
1 
1 
1 
Both versions are provided upon request to the Public Printer. 
U.S. Court of International Trade Library 
1 
1 
1 
1 
Both versions are provided upon request to the Public Printer. 
Tax Court of the United States Library 
1 
1 
1 
1 
Both versions are provided upon request to the Public Printer. 
U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans  
1 
1 
1 
1 
Both versions are provided upon request to the Public Printer. 
Claims Library 
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed 
1 
1 
1 
1 
Both versions are provided upon request to the Public Printer. 
Forces Library 
U.S. Court of Appeals Libraries 
1 
12 
1 
12 
Both versions are provided upon request to the Public Printer. 
U.S. District Courts Libraries 
1 
94 
1 
94 
Both versions are provided upon request to the Public Printer. 
State Governors 
1 
50 
1 
50 
 
Offices of the Governors of Puerto Rico,  
5 15  5 15 
 
Guam and the Virgin Islands, each 
District of Columbia Government 
2 12  1  5 
 
Establishments’ Libraries each 
District of Columbia Municipal Libraries, 
2 54  1 27 
 
each 
Distribution to Depository Libraries 
 
NA 
— 
— 
 
CRS-31 
 
Daily 
Daily 
Edition 
Edition 
Bound 
Bound 
Recipient 
Copies 
Total 
Copies 
Total Notes 
Foreign Embassies and Legations 
1 U — — 
 
Reciprocal Copies 
House Press Gal ery 
2 
2 
1 
1 
 
Senate Press Gal ery 
2 
2 
1 
1 
 
Each newspaper correspondent listed in 
Up to 
U 
1 
U 
Upon application. Up to 528 NTE 4 for each press bureau. 
the Congressional Directory 
528 
Source: 44 U.S.C. 906, some CRS calculations. Quotations in the notes are taken from 44 U.S.C. 906. Each recipient is authorized to receive one copy, unless otherwise 
noted. 
Notes: This table excludes distributions to the Governor of the Canal Zone, and national homes for disabled volunteer soldiers. “NTE” means not exceed, and is taken 
from the statute. “—” means no distribution is authorized. “NA” means not available. “U” means unknown. 
 
CRS-32 
Congressional Printing: Background and Issues for Congress 
 
 
Author Contact Information 
 
R. Eric Petersen 
   
Analyst in American National Government 
epetersen@crs.loc.gov, 7-0643 
 
 
Acknowledgments 
Jennifer E. Manning, Information Research Specialist, and Jared Conrad Nagel, Reference Assistant, both 
in the Knowledge Services Group, provided research assistance. Amber Hope Wilhelm, Graphics Specialist 
in the Electronic Research Products Office, provided support and assistance with various figures in the 
report. Ida A. Brudnick, Analyst on the Congress, provided technical assistance. 
 
Congressional Research Service 
33