To direct the Librarian of Congress to promote the more cost-effective, efficient, and expanded availability of the Annotated C...
Officially: “To direct the Librarian of Congress to promote the more cost-effective, efficient, and expanded availability of the Annotated Constitution and pocket-part supplements by replacing the hardbound versions with digital versions.” Read the full text
What it does
Read it in plain language
1Repeal requirement for Congressional Research Service to prepare Annotated Constitution and supplements in hardbound version
This section would change how the Library of Congress produces the Constitution Annotated, the official annotated edition of the Constitution, and its periodic pocket-part supplements, phasing out hardbound printing in favor of digital publication on a set schedule. Current law requires the Librarian of Congress to prepare a hardbound decennial revised edition of the Constitution Annotated every ten years and a hardbound cumulative pocket-part supplement in the intervening years. Starting after the October 2031 term of the Supreme Court, and after every tenth October term after that, the Librarian would have to prepare the decennial revised edition digitally instead of in hardbound. Starting after the October 2025 term of the Supreme Court, and after each following October term that falls in an odd-numbered year not ending in the digit 1, the Librarian would have to prepare the cumulative pocket-part supplement digitally instead of in hardbound. The Librarian would have to post these digital decennial editions and pocket-part supplements on a public Library of Congress website and keep them continuously available there to Congress and the public. The existing requirement covering distribution of hardbound copies would stay in place, but only as one part (subsection (a)) of a section that now also covers the new digital-availability duties. The existing requirement that additional hardbound copies of the decennial edition and pocket-part supplements be printed would stop applying once the October 2025 Supreme Court term is complete; after that point, the Librarian would have to provide those decennial editions and supplements only in digital format on the public website. This section would also repeal the separate law that let Congress order additional printed copies of the Constitution Annotated by passing a concurrent resolution.
Show official text
1. Repeal requirement for Congressional Research Service to prepare Annotated Constitution and supplements in hardbound version (a) Repeal The first section of Public Law 91–589 ( 2 U.S.C. 168 ) is amended— (1) by striking the Librarian of Congress and inserting (a) subject to subsection (b), the Librarian of Congress ; and (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection: (b) (1) Upon the completion of the October 2031 term of the Supreme Court and upon the completion of each tenth October term of the Supreme Court thereafter, the Librarian of Congress shall have prepared a digital decennial revised edition of the Constitution Annotated, which shall contain annotations of all decisions theretofore rendered by the Supreme Court construing provisions of the Constitution, in place of the hardbound decennial revised edition of the Constitution Annotated described in subsection (a)(3). (2) Upon the completion of the October 2025 term of the Supreme Court and upon the completion of each subsequent October term of the Supreme Court beginning in an odd-numbered year (the final digit of which is not a 1), the Librarian shall have prepared a digital cumulative pocket-part supplement to the most recent decennial revised edition of the Constitution Annotated, which shall contain cumulative annotations of all such decisions rendered by the Supreme Court which were not included in the most recent revised edition of the Constitution Annotated, in place of the hardbound editions of the cumulative pocket-part supplement described in subsection (a)(4). . (b) Ensuring availability of digital versions Section 2 of Public Law 91–589 ( 2 U.S.C. 168a ) is amended— (1) by striking All hardbound and inserting (a) All hardbound ; and (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection: (b) (1) The digital decennial revised editions of the Constitution Annotated prepared under subsection (b)(1) of the first section of this Joint Resolution and the digital cumulative pocket-part supplements prepared under subsection (b)(2) of the first section of this Joint Resolution shall be available at a public website of the Library of Congress. (2) The Librarian of Congress shall ensure the continuing availability of the documents referred to in paragraph (1) to Congress and the public. . (c) Repeal of additional printing requirements (1) Mandatory printing of additional copies Section 3 of Public Law 91–589 ( 2 U.S.C. 168b ) is amended— (A) by striking There shall be printed and inserting (a) There shall be printed ; and (B) by adding at the end the following new subsection: (b) Subsection (a) does not apply after completion of the October 2025 term of the Supreme Court, and the Librarian of Congress shall provide the decennial revised editions of the Constitution Annotated and the cumulative pocket part supplements prepared under this Joint Resolution exclusively in a digital format available at a public website of the Library of Congress. . (2) Printing of additional copies pursuant to concurrent resolution Section 4 of Public Law 91–589 ( 2 U.S.C. 168c ) is repealed.
Where it is
In the House.