Government Printing Office Electronic Information Access Enhancement Act of 1993

by the 103rd Congress of the United States

103^RD UNITED STATES CONGRESS
1^ST SESSION

An Act
To establish in the Government Printing Office a means of enhancing electronic
public access to a wide range of Federal electronic information.

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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Government Printing Office Electronic Information Access Enhancement Act of 1993´´.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENTS TO TITLE 44, UNITED STATES CODE.

(a) IN GENERAL—

Title 44, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new chapter:

``CHAPTER 41—ACCESS TO FEDERAL ELECTRONIC INFORMATION

``Sec.

``4101. Electronic directory; online access to publications; electronic storage facility.

``4102. Fees.

``4103. Biennial report.

``4104. Definition.

``Sec. 4101. Electronic directory; online access to publications; electronic storage facility

``(a) IN GENERAL—

``The Superintendent of Documents, under the direction of the Public Printer, shall—

``(1) maintain an electronic directory of Federal electronic information;

``(2) provide a system of online access to the Congressional Record, the Federal Register, and, as determined by the Superintendent of Documents, other appropriate publications distributed by the Superintendent of Documents; and

``(3) operate an electronic storage facility for Federal electronic information to which online access is made available under paragraph (2).

``(b) DEPARTMENTAL REQUESTS—

`To the extent practicable, the Superintendent of Documents shall accommodate any request by the head of a department or agency to include in the system of access referred to in subsection (a)(2) information that is under the control of the department or agency involved.

``(c) CONSULTATION—

``In carrying out this section, the Superintendent of Documents shall consult—

``(1) users of the directory and the system of access provided for under subsection (a); and

``(2) other providers of similar information services.

``The purpose of such consultation shall be to assess the quality and value of the directory and the system, in light of user needs.

``Sec. 4102. Fees

``(a) IN GENERAL—

``The Superintendent of Documents, under the direction of the Public Printer, may charge reasonable fees for use of the directory and the system of access provided for under section 4101, except that use of the directory and the system shall be made available to depository libraries without charge. The fees received shall be treated in the same manner as moneys received from sale of documents under section 1702 of this title.

``(b) COST RECOVERY—

``The fees charged under this section shall be set so as to recover the incremental cost of dissemination of the information involved, with the cost to be computed without regard to section 1708 of this title.

``Sec. 4103. Biennial report

`Not later than December 31 of each odd-numbered year, the Public Printer shall submit to the Congress, with respect to the two preceding fiscal years, a report on the directory, the system of access, and the electronic storage facility referred to in section 4101(a). The report shall include a description of the functions involved, including a statement of cost savings in comparison with traditional forms of information distribution.

``Sec. 4104. Definition

``As used in this chapter, the term `Federal electronic information' means Federal public information stored electronically.´´.

(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT—

The table of chapters for title 44, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

``4101´´.

SEC. 3. STATUS REPORT.

Not later than June 30, 1994, the Public Printer shall submit to the Congress a report on the status of the directory, the system of access, and the electronic storage facility referred to in section 4101 of title 44, United States Code, as added by section 2(a).

SEC. 4. SPECIAL RULES.

(a) OPERATIONAL DEADLINE—

The directory, the system of access, and the electronic storage facility referred to in section 4101 of title 44, United States Code, as added by section 2(a), shall be operational not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(b) FIRST BIENNIAL REPORT—

The first report referred to in section 4103 of title 44, United States Code, as added by section 2(a), shall be submitted not later than December 31, 1995.

Approved June 8, 1993.

Legislative History

• S. 564, H.R. 1328
• CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 139 (1993):
  • considered and passed Senate.
  • considered and passed House.