Gpo Modernization Act of 2026

Official Congressional Record (opens in a new tab)

H. Morgan Griffith, VA

Republican

Linked statement

“I want to pass this bill. I am following the procedure to move it forward.”
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Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 9342) to revise certain authorities of the Government Publishing Office, and for other purposes, as amended. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. Sec. 101. Sale of Government documents. Sec. 201. Purpose and establishment. Sec. 202. Definitions. Sec. 203. Availability of Government publications. Sec. 204. Selections available to depository libraries. Sec. 205. Distribution to depositories. Sec. 206. Conforming amendment related to libraries of executive Sec. 207. Requirements for depository libraries. Sec. 208. Free use of Government public information in depositories. Sec. 209. Regional depositories. Sec. 210. Cataloging and access. Sec. 211. National Collection of United States Public Information. Sec. 212. Printing or publication of Congressional Directory. Sec. 301. Updating Oversight by the Joint Committee. Sec. 302. Modernizing authorities of the Government Publishing Office. Sec. 303. Updating and Modernizing Congressional Publishing. Sec. 304. GPO and the Federal Register. Sec. 305. Acceptance of gifts. Sec. 306. Simplified acquisitions. Sec. 307. Supplies or services. Sec. 308. Detail of employees. Sec. 309. Equalizing GPO Compensation with Other Legislative Branch Sec. 310. Leave carryover for certain Government Publishing Office Sec. 401. Repeal requirement for Congressional Research Service to ``Sec. ``101. Joint Committee on Publishing: membership. ``102. Joint Committee on Publishing: purpose and authority. ``103. Joint Committee on Publishing: succession; powers during recess. ``104. Joint Committee on Publishing: remedial powers.

H. Morgan Griffith, VA

Republican
“I want this bill to pass. The Government Publishing Office is outdated. It uses slow, expensive physical printing. This bill moves it to digital documents. This will save money and work better. It will also update the employees' salaries. The GPO needs this bill to modernize. I want it to pass.”
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Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 9342, the GPO Modernization Act of 2026, led by Representative Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma, provides several much-needed reforms for the Government Publishing Office. Founded in 1861, the Government Publishing Office has long functioned as an important resource not only for Congress but for the Federal Government as a whole by printing, preserving, and distributing official government documents. Despite the important nature of its work, many of the operations of the GPO are still mired in slow and expensive physical printing processes. This bipartisan legislation transports the GPO into the modern era by digitizing important government documents through programs like the National Collection of U.S. Public Information. This serves as a centralized digital library that will greatly expand access for Americans to easily view government resources and stay informed with current events. H.R. 9342 will also increase fiscal responsibility and efficiency within the GPO by transferring costly, time-consuming print products, such as the Congressional Directory, into a digital format. Additionally, H.R. 9342 cuts bureaucratic red tape by simplifying the acquisition process for key operational equipment and updates GPO employee salaries to ensure that they are on par with other legislative branch agencies. Taken together, the GPO Modernization Act will help ensure that the Government Publishing Office will have the tools and staff it needs to successfully transfer its inventory and operations to a digital-first format and continue to support the Federal Government for years to come. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Joseph D. Morelle, NY

Democrat
“I want this bill to pass. I thank my colleague Mrs. Bice for introducing it. The Government Publishing Office is very important for Congress and for the public to get accurate information. The laws for the GPO are old. They are not good for the digital age. This bill will modernize those laws. It will make GPO work better. It will also improve public access to government information. This bill updates the Federal Depository Library Program. It will let libraries use digital copies instead of hard copies. That will save space. More libraries can participate. This bill also improves GPO operations, like buying and personnel policies. This will strengthen the GPO and Congress. I want my colleagues to vote for this bill.”
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Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 9342, the GPO Modernization Act of 2026. I thank my good friend and colleague, the gentlewoman from Oklahoma (Mrs. Bice) for introducing it. The Government Publishing Office is a critical part of the legislative branch. Without it, Congress simply could not legislate, issue reports, or adequately conduct many of its constitutional responsibilities. It provides the public with one of the essentials of democracy: access to authoritative, accurate information. The statutes governing the government printing office, or GPO, have seen modest updates over the years, including the name change from the government printing office, which I probably said in mistake, to the Government Publishing Office, but much of the law still predates the digital era. This bill further modernizes those statutes, streamlines GPO's operations, and improves public access to government information. I support these efforts which will help strengthen the GPO's capacity and, in turn, Congress' capacity to do its work. Among other things, the bill updates the Federal Depository Library Program, or FDLP, to more effectively provide free, equitable, and convenient public access to government information. For example, it will allow depository libraries to substitute digital copies of government documents for hard copies. Doing so will free up much-needed physical space in libraries and let libraries without room on their shelves take part in the program and continue to serve the public. This bill also includes several improvements to GPO operations, including its procurement authorities and certain personnel policies. Together with the other legislation we are considering today to reform how the GPO Director is appointed, these changes will strengthen the agency and its ability to serve Congress and the public. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mrs. Bice for her leadership. I support the legislation and urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Stephanie I. Bice, OK

Republican
“I want to thank my colleague Mr. Morelle. I support this bill. I am happy I introduced this bill. It is important to modernize the Government Publishing Office. The GPO is very old. It is still operating with old rules. This bill will fix that. It will help the GPO run better and serve the public better. The bill will let GPO set better prices. It will let them dispose of unneeded documents. This bill will move some publications online. That will save taxpayers money. It will also expand the digital side of the Federal Depository Library Program. The GPO asked for these changes. I want my colleagues to support this bipartisan bill.”
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Mr. Speaker, first of all, I thank my colleague, Mr. Morelle, for his support of this very important piece of legislation. I rise today in strong support of H.R. 9342, the GPO Modernization Act of 2026. As the chair of the Subcommittee on Modernization and Innovation, I am pleased to have introduced this legislation to both modernize and encourage innovation at the Government Publishing Office by helping bring them into the 21st century. The GPO first opened its doors in 1861 and served as the printing office for Congress, Federal agencies, and the judiciary. Later, its mission expanded to include management of the Federal Depository Library Program and the GovInfo website, which serve as public repositories for government information. Through roundtable conversations with institutional staff and leaders, we learned that this 19th century institution operates under 20th century rules in the 21st century. Earlier this year, GPO Director Halpern testified before the Committee on House Administration and said the agency operates in the liminal spaces of its statute to meet the needs of Congress and Federal agencies. This bipartisan legislation hopes to address this need and seeks to change the outdated statutes, helping GPO meet its needs and helping us better serve the American people. The bill gives GPO greater flexibility to continue its business operations, which already funds 90 percent of its operations. It allows the Superintendent of Documents to meet customer demand by setting competitive and realistic prices for the sale of documents. It also allows the agencies to strategically dispose of excess publications for which there is little public interest. Specifically, this legislation will repeal antiquated printing provisions and require future editions of the annotated Constitution, or CONAN, to be published online. Producing CONAN is costly, costing taxpayers roughly $1 million a year. Furthermore, the bill will also require future editions of the Congressional Directory to be published online, saving additional taxpayer dollars. It will expand the digital presence of the Federal Depository Library Program and ensure government public information remains accessible for free use by the American public, mimicking a finding by the GPO's task force on a digital Federal Depository Library Program. This bill is simple. It brings GPO up to par with other legislative branch agencies, giving them the desperate statutory updates the Office has continually asked Congress for. Mr. Speaker, I thank GPO Director Halpern and the CHA staff for their work on this, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bipartisan commonsense legislation.

Joseph D. Morelle, NY

Democrat
“I was going to oppose this bill. But the other side made a good speech. I will support it now. I want everyone else to support it too.”
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Mr. Speaker, I was on the bubble, but that brilliant oration by Mrs. Bice has persuaded me to continue to support the bill. I thank her for her good work, and I strongly urge my colleagues to support it. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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