STATUS REPORT 

GPO ACCESS 

A Service of the U.S. Government Printing Office 

U.S. Government Printing Office 

Washington, DC 20401 
U. S . Government Printing Office 

Michael F . DiMario, Public Printer 

For additional information contact the Office of Congressional, 

Legislative and Public Affairs U.S. Government Printing Office 

Washington, DC 20401 Telephone: (202) 512-1991 
STATUS REPORT 

GPO ACCESS 

A Service of the U.S. Government Printing Office 

Established Under 

Government Printing Office Electronic Information 

Access Enhancement Act of 1993 

Public Law 103-40 -- June 8,1993 

June 30, 1994 

U.S. Government Printing Office 

Washington, DC 20401 
United States Government Printing Office 

Washington, DC 20401 

OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC PRINTER 

July 1, 1994 

Honorable WendeU H. Ford 

Chairman 

Committee on Rules and Administration 

U.S. Senate 

Suite 305, RusseU Senate OfFice Building 1 Washington, DC 20510 

Honorable Charlie Rose 

Chairman 

Committee on House Administration 

Hwse of Representatives 

Room H-326, The Capitol 

Washington, DC 20515 

Dear Chairmen: 

Pursuant to the requirement of section 3 of the Government Printing Office Electronic 

Information Access Enhancement Act of 1993 (P.L. 103-40), I am transmitting herewith 

a report on the status of the directory, system of access, and the electronic storage 

facility referred to in section 4101 of title 44, United States Code, known as 

GPO Access. 

Sincerely, 

p&?2$6?LzF MICHAEL F. DiMARIO 

Public Riiter 

Enclosure 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Page 

I . Background ......................................... 1 

I1 . Key Provisions of the GPO Access Legislation ................ 2 

Ill . Statement of GPO Objectives ............................ 3 

IV Consultation . ......................................... 4 

V . Online Access to the Congressional Record and Federal Register . . 5 

VI . The Locator Service .................................. 10 

VII . The Storage Facility .................................. 15 

VIII . The Federal Bulletin Board ............................. 16 

IX . Future Plans ........................................ 19 

X . Costs and Financing ................................. 21 

List of Exhibits 

Exhibit A: Legislative History of Public Law 10340 .............. 25 

Exhibit B: Initial Equipment Configuration for the Portions of 

GPO Access Accessible to the Public ................ 28 

Exhibit C: GPO Access Press Release ...................... 30 

Exhibit D: GPO Access Brochure .......................... 35 

I ........................... Exhibit E: Federal Register Cover and Page II with Subscription 

Rates and Instructions 38 

I Exhibit F: Congressional Record Page with Subscription Rates 

and Instructions ............................... 41 

Exhibit G: The Federal Bulletin Board Brochure ................ 44 
STATUS REPORT 

GPO ACCESS 

A Service of the U.S. Government Printing Office 

I. BACKGROUND 

I Early in the 103d Congress two similar bills (H.R. 1328 and S. 564) were submitted, 

leading to the enactment of Public Law 10340, entitled the "Government Printing 

Office Electronic Information Access Enhancement Act of 1993" (GPO Access) on 

June 8, 1993. 

The GPO Access legislation had bipartisan support. It was introduced in the Senate 

by Senator Wendell H. Ford (KY) and w-sponsored by Senator Ted Stevens (AK) and 

Senator Larry Pressler (SD). In the House it was introduced by Representative 

Charlie Rose (NC) and co-sponsored by Representative Newt Gingrich (GA), 

Representative Sam Gejdenson (CT), Representative Gerald D. Kleckza (IM). 

Representative Pat Roberts (KS) and Representative William M. Thomas (CA). 

President Clinton signed it into law on June 8, 1993. 

I As required, the GPO Access services were made available on June 8, 1994. Over 

700 subscriptions were ordered during the first three weeks of operation and 

thousands of inquiries were receued and processed. 

A brief legislative history is attached as Exhibit A. A diagram of the initial equipment 

configuration for the portions of GPO Access that are accessible to the public is 

attached as Exhibit B. 
GPO Access - Status Report, June 30, 1994 

11. KEY PROVISIONS OF THE GPO ACCESS LEGISLATION 

Summarized below are the key provisions of the Government Printing Office Electronic 

Information Access Enhancement Act of 1993 (Public Law 10340 ). 

1. Electronic Directory, Online Access and Storage Facility 

Under the GPO Access legislation, the Superintendent of Documents is required 

to (1) maintain an electronic directory of Federal electronic information(the 

Locator service); (2) provide a system of online access to the Congressional 

Record, the Federal Register and other appropriate publications (the Online 

Interactive Service); (3) operate an electronic storage facility for Federal electronic 

information (the Storage Facility). Collectively these are referred to as GPO 

Access. 

2. Departmental Requests 

To the extent practicable, the Superintendent of Documents will accommodate 

requests by department or agency heads to disseminate their information through 

GPO Access. 

3. Consultation 

The Superintendent of Documents will consult with users of GPO Access, and 

with other providers of information services, to assess the quality and value of 

these services. 

4. Fees 

The Superintendent of Documents may charge reasonable fees for use of GPO 

Access services, except that Federal depository libraries will have access at no 

charge. Fees must be set so as to recover the incremental cost of dissemination. 

Depository library access will be paid from the appropriation provided for the 

Federal Depository Library Program. 

5. Biennial Report 

The Public Printer must submit to the Congress a biennial report, beginning 

December 31, 1995, on odd-numbered years. This report shall include a 

description of the functions in this Act and a statement of cost savings in 

comparison with traditional forms of information distribution. 
GPO Access - Status Report, June 30, 1994 

6. Status Report 

BY June 30, 1994, the Publ~c Printer shall submit to Congress a report on the 

status of the GPO Access services. 

7. Operational Deadline 

GPO Access shall be operational by June 8, 1994. 

Ill. STATEMENT OF GPO OBJECTIVES 

Multi-disciplined organizational elements selected from within GPO were assigned 

critical tasks to facilitate initial implementation of Public Law 103-40. Managers from 

these organizational elements formed a Task Force to document the plan and 

coordinate its implementation to assure timely, cost-effective completion of the 

necessary tasks. 

Following is a listing of the objectives agreed upon as governing principles in the 

endeavor 

To improve access to Federal Government information in electronic formats by 

defining a life cycle beginning with the original document created by the author 

and ending with archiving in appropriate data formats. 

To establish and operate an electronic storage facility for Federal electronic 

information, to which online access is provided, in order to assure availability of 

electronic information beyond the short-term use for producing print products or 

initial electronic dissemination. 

To encourage the use of electronic database standards, such as SGMLstructured data files; industry standard page description languages, such as 

Postscript; and standardized document interchange file formats, such as the 

Acrobat portable document format (PDF), that permit dissemination of the 

original document, without rekeying, in print andlor electronic format. 

To utilize a variety of dissemination media and methods, including online 

interactive search and retrieval; bulletin board services; CD-ROM; magnetic 

tape, cartridge or diskette; facsimile transmission; and satellite broadcast or 

other affirmative transmission, in order to achieve cost-effective information 

deliverv that is amro~riate .. . to both the lv~e ofinformation being disseminated - 

and the needs of users of that information. 
GPO Access - Status Report, June 30, 1994 

To utilize network access, particularly the Internet, to supplement the more 

traditional asynchronous (telephone and modem) communications as a means 

of access to online information services. 

To coordinate and facilitate the operation of a comprehensive Federal 

Government Electronic Locator System for electronic information products and 

other appropriate Government information. 

To provide, through GPO, services for electronic document delivery and online 

interactive access that are well-designed, easy to use, and low in price. Initially. 

the Online Interactive Service will provide access to the Congressional Record 

and Federal Register, but it will be capable of rapid expansion to include other 

high-demand databases. 

To keep system development and operating costs low and manage growth 

carefully in order to keep the costs to publishing agencies and users as low as 

possible while permitting GPO to recover its costs. 

To establish and expand the GPO Access services as part of an agency-wide 

strategic plan which antic~pates future workforce, technology and budget 

requirements. 

2 

IV. CONSULTATION s 

In developing and implementing GPO Access, the Public Printer, the Superintendent of 

Documents, and other GPO staff have consulted with a variety of publishers and users 

of electronic government information, both from within and outside of the Federal 

government. Presentations have been made at numerous public meetings, including 

the Federal Depository Conferences, meetings of the Depository Library Council to 

the.Public Printer, the Electronic Media (E-Media) conferences held as part of the 

National Information Infrastructure initiative, as well as local, regional and national 

library association meetings. Demonstrations and presentations have been made 

individually and in small groups to representatives of a variety of Congressional 

offices. Federal agencies, trade and professional organizations and companies. A 

special public meeting for information industry companies was held in October, 1993. 

to disseminate the Initial Implementation Plan and answer questions about it. 

There have been numerous letters and telephone calls from individuals and 

organizations seeking information about the implementation of the legislation and 

after the enactment of Public Law 103-40, GPO established a free forum on The 

offering their comments. These have been answered individually. In add~on, shortly I 

a 

8 

Federal Bulletin Board to disseminate copies of pertinent documents and solicit public 

comment. (Exhibit G provides information on how to access The Federal Bulletin 

Board.) Its content includes the legislation, the House and Senate reports, the 
GPO Access - status Report, June 30, 1994 

president's statement, the initial implementation plan, copies of press releases, the 

statement of work for the software procurement and other relevant material. 

Numerous copies of these documents have also been mailed or faxed to interested 

parties. 

The GPO Access Task Force met regularly with representatives of the Congress and 

other Legislative Branch agencies and with staff from the OiTke of the Federal 

Register (OFR) to develop requirements and assure that the implementation was 

appropriate to their needs and preferences. A variety of individuals, primarily drawn 

from within the Federal government and from the depository library communrty, 

participated in beta testing of the WAIS server databases in order to provide essential 

feedback before public release. A structured evaluation of the Prototype Locator 

commenced in June 1994 and will continue through the fall. It will evaluate the 

utilization of the locator by a variety of users in business, government, and libraries, 

and the results will be used to determine how to improve and expand the Locator 

Service. 

Since the introduction of the GPO Access services on June 8, 1994, GPO staff have 

participated in major conferences of the American Library Association (ALA) and the 

Special Libraries Association (SLA). GPO will participate in the American Association 

of Law Libraries (AALL) conference in July 1994. On July 6, 1994, there will be three 

demonstrations and briefings at GPO, one for information industry companies and two 

for Federal agencies and others interested in the implementation of the GPO Access 

legislation. There are also plans to conduct a forum on GPO Access for public 

interest group users. 

A GPO Access User Support Team has been established to assist users and answer 

questions from potential users. The team is collecting comments and suggestions 

from the hundreds of telephone calls that are coming in, and this information will be 

used to improve the existing services and as an aid in determining the content and 

characteristics of future services. 

V. ONLINE ACCESS TO THE CONGRESSIONAL RECORD AND 

FEDERAL REGISTER 

Under the GPO Access legislation, the Superintendent of Documents is required to 

provide a system of online access to the Congressional Record, the Federal Register 

and other appropriate publications (the Online Interactive Service). The initial 

implementation of the Online lnteractive Service uses a W~de Area Information Server 

(WAIS) at GPO. It provides full text search and retrieval for the Congressional 

Record and the Federal Register. It also offers the Congressional Record Index (1992 

through 1994) and Enrolled Bills for the 103d Congress. 
GPO Access - Status Report, June 30, 1994 

The GPO Access services were made available on June 8, 1994. Over 600 

subscriptions were ordered during the first three weeks of operation and thousands of 

inquiries were received and processed. 

1. Requirements I I 

1 

In designing the WAlS server applications, GPO identified requirements that this i 

service should: < i 

Be capable of meeting the operational deadline stipulated in the law. 

For the most part, utilize existing equipment, in order to minimize costs. 

Be compatible and work with Internet, as well as accessible through 

asynchronous communicatiins (telephone and modem). 

Satisfy publisher and public requirements that online access to the Record 

and Register include the complete publications, including all tables, graphics, f 

r etc. 

Although the above requirements were met wth the WAlS server, additional 

requirements were identified that mandate the employment of alternative methods 

with a longer development cycle. These are discussed in Section IX: Future 

Plans. I 

I 

2. Databases on the WAlS Sewer 1 

3 

The initial GPO Access WAlS databases are: i 

Federal Reaister database, that contains daily issues of the Federal Register f 

(FR) from the beginning of calendar year 1994 (Volume 59, Number 1). The 

database is updated by 6:00 a.m. each day the FR is published. The text of 

Notices, Final Rules. Proposed Rules, Presidential Documents, and 

1 

Executive Orders, as well as the contents and finding aids, are included in 

in TlFF format. Brief ASCII text summaries of each major entry are also 

the database daily as ASCII files, with all graphics included as individual files i 

I 

1 

available. The Regulatory Agenda will be ~ncluded at a later time. 1 

I 

Conaressional Record database, that contains daily issues of the 

Congressional Record (CR) for the 103d Congress, 2d Session (Volume 

140). The database is updated between 9:00 and 11:OO a.m. each day the 

CR is published, depending on the time that Congress adjourns the 

preceding day. The Daily Digest, Extensions of Remarks and House and 

Senate pages are all included in the database daily as ASCII text files, with 

all graphics included as individual files in TlFF format. 
GPO Access - Status Reoort. June 30. 1994 

. Ps, that contain the cumulated contents 

of the Congressional Record Index (CRI) for 1992 through 1994 (Volumes 

138 through 140). The 1994 database, covering the 103d Congress, 2d 

Session, is updated every two weeks to incorporate the most recent biweekly 

issue of the CRI. The 1992 and 1993 CRI databases, covering the 102d 

Congress. 2d Session and 103d Congress, 1st Session, respectively, will be 

static. Each CRI heading, with its subordinate entries, is available as an 

ASCll text file. All page number references refer to pagination of the daily, 

rather than the final (bound) Congressional Record. Because biweekly paper -. . 

issues of the CRI are not cumulative, there is no equivalent print counterpart 

of these databases. The databases do not contain ~reliminarv information ~ - 

found in the printed version, such as listings of com;nonly us& index 

headings, nor do they yet include the "History of Bills and Resolutions." The 

History data will be included at a later time. 

. Enrolled Bills for the 103d Conaress database, that contains all enrolled bills 

(bills passed by the House and Senate and sent to the President for 

signature) for the 103d Congress from the beginning of the 1st Session (1993 

through 1994). The database is updated on an irregular basis, as bills are 

passed. Each enrolled bill is available as an ASCll text file and in the Adobe 

Acrobat PDF file format. Users with Acrobat viewers will be able to display 

and print typeset page facsimiles. 

3. Methods of Access; Software 

Users with full lntemet access and local WAlS client software can search the 

ASCll text and retrieve both the text files and the TIFF files containing graphics 

from the Congressional Record and Federal Register. They can also retrieve the 

Adobe Acrobat PDF files for Enrolled Bills. Customized WAlS client software for 

Wtndows or Macintosh systems is available from GPO for $15 per copy. Sample 

searches and the appropriate source selections (database addresses) are 

provided with this client software and the installation has been customized for the 

special file format requirements of the GPO Access databases. The software also 

include a graphics (TIFF) viewer. Acrobat viewers are available from a number of 

commercial sofhvare suppliers for approximately $25 per copy. 

Those who do not have full lnternet connections can still use the GPO Access 

databases through the Simple WAlS (SWAIS) client software on the GPO server. 

This provides the ability to search the ASCll text files through an Internet Telnet 

session or by using a phone'modem to dial-directly into GPO. Graphic (TIFF) 

and Acrobat PDF files are not available through SWAIS. 

A substantial number of Federal depository libraries have lntemet service and can 

use SWAlS or the customized WAlS client software to search the GPO Access 

databases. GPO will provide limited 800 service for depository libraries that do 

not have, and cannot obtain, lnternet service, and are outside of the Washington 
GPO Access - status Report, June 30, 1994 

metropolitan area. Because of the potential expense, GPO anticipates that this 

will be only a short term solution, and that the depository libraries will actively seek 

to obtain internet access. Depository libraries using this service will have special 4 

procedures to follow and will be issued an identification number to use in 

conjunction with the 800 number. For the present, they will be limited to SWAlS 

service. 

GPO intends to offer SLlPlPPP connections to dial in users in the near future. 

This will enable dial in users with personal computers to use local WAlS client 

software and have full use of the GPO Access services. 

4. Depository Library Access; Subscription Fees 

As required by Section 4102 of the GPO Access Act, the Superintendent of 

Documents is providing Federal depository libraries with access to the GPO 

Access databases without charge. The libraries, in turn, provide free public 

access to these services. There is at least one Federal depository library in each 

Congressional District. Costs for this access are paid from the appropriation 

provided for the Federal Depository Library Program in the Legislative Branch 

Appropriation. 

Fees for other users have been set so as to recover the incremental cost of 

dissemination. Section X contains additional information on the costs for the 

development and operation of the GPO Access services. 

The initial fees are as follows: 

The annual subscription price for the Federal Register Online via GPO 

Access through a stand alone workstation (not a server) is $375 and includes 

the full text and graphics from the daily issues of the Federal Register. 

Six-month (26 week) subscriptions are available for $200. One month (30 

days) of access can be purchased for $35. 

The annual subscription price for the Congressional Record Online via GPO 

Access through a stand alone workstation (not a server) is $375 and includes 

the Congressional Record and the Congressional Record Index databases. 

Six-month (26 week) subscriptions are available for $200. One month (30 

days) of access can be purchased for $35. 

Annual subscriptions are also available for either the Federal Register or the 

Congressional Record online through a network server with multiple 

workstations. Rates are as follows: 
r GPO Access - status Report, JUne 30, 1994 

- 

2 to 10 Workstations: $750 per year 

11 to 50 Workstations: $1,875 per year 

51 to 100 Workstations: $2,815 per year 

101 to 150 Workstations: $3,755 per year 

151 to 500 Workstations: $3,755 per year plus $188 per 10 additional 

workstations over 150 (round up) 

501 to 1000 Workstations: $10,335 per year plus $94 per 10 additional 

workstations over 500 (round up) 

Prices for servers with over 1,000 workstations can be provided upon request. 

The annual subscription price for the Enrolled Bills for the 103d Congress 

Online via GPO Access through a stand alone workstation (not a server) is 

$60. Because of the low price, no partial year subscriptions are offered. 

Annual subscriptions are also available for the Enrolled Bills online through a 

network server with multiple work stations. Rates are as follows: 

2 to 10 Workstations: $120 per year 

11 to 50 Workstations: $300 per year 

51 to 100 Workstations: $450 per year 

101 to 150 Workstations: $600 per year 

151 to 500 Workstations: $600 per year plus $30 per 10 additional 

workstations over 150 (round up) 

501 to 1000 Workstations: $1,650 per year plus $15 per 10 additional 

workstations over 500 (round up) 

Prices for servers with over 1.000 workstations can be provided upon 

request 

These rates are preliminary and are based on GPO's best estimates of the 

number of subscriptions that will be sold, or delivered without charge to Federal 

depository libraries, during the first year of service. It is difficult to anticipate 

precisely the costs for providing a new service, and even more difficult to 

anticipate the number of users and their patterns of use. Consequently, GPO will 

monitor both revenue and costs, and plans to adjust the rates as needed, so that 

the revenue, over time, will be sufficient to recover all of the incremental costs of 

dissemination. If usage exceeds the initial forecasts, GPO will be able to reduce 

the rates. Section X contains additional information on the costs for the 

development and operation of the GPO Access services. 

The WAlS server offers limited options for charging users. Time-based charges 

are not meaningful in a service that is based on the transmission of queries 

(packets), rather than a continuous, asynchronous communications session. 

Since the WAlS client software does not provide the user with the file size for all 

files (some clients provide the size of the basic ASCII text file), it is not reasonable 
GPO Access - status ReDort. June 30. 1994 

to charge users based on the size of the files downloaded. Additionally, with 

online information services, the greatest requirement for user support comes 

during the initiation of service and the completion of the initial searches, so it is 

necessary to establish a minimum charge that will recover these anticipated user 

support costs. Finally, the expressed user preference is for a low cost, fixed price 

subscription that would permit the user to budget for the service. GPO 

anticipates that future enhancements to the WAlS server soflware andlor 

implementation of the SGML-based online service described in Section IX will 

provide more flexible pricing options. 

The press release announcing the GPO Access services is attached as Exhibit C. 

A brochure that is used to respond to customer inquiries and othewise promote 

the online databases is attached as Exhibit D. A reproduction of the Federal 

Register wver and the description and prices for the online Federal Register that 

appears in each daily issue is Exhibit E. A reproduction of the description and 

prices for the online Congressional Record that appears in each daily issue is 

Exhibit F. 

VI. THE LOCATOR SERVICE 

Under the GPO Access legislation, the Superintendent of Documents is required to 

maintain an electronic directory of Federal electronic information (Locator Service). 

The idea of a Federal locator or directory for electronic data files is not a new one. 

There have been a number of studies and legislative initiatives seeking to address the 

vast quantity of government information that is not easy to acquire in large part 

because it is not easy to find. 

Assignment of the responsibility for a government-wide locator to GPO is a logical 

extension of its responsibility for the publication of the Monthly Catalog of U.S. 

Government Publications (MoCat). Title 44 USC §I71 1 requires GPO to "prepare a 

catalog of Government publications which shall show the documents printed during the 

preceding month, where obtainable, and the price." MoCat production receives 

modest funding (about $2.5 million a year) as part of the Legislative Branch 

Appropriations to fulfill the requirements of Title 44. 

MoCat does list a wide variety of paper, microform and electronic government 

"publications" - over 32,000 records per year. However, coverage of electronic 

information products has largely resulted from the inclusion of CD-ROM and diskette 

based products in the GPO Sales Program and obtained for distribution to Federal 

depository libraries. While it is not limited to such items, that has been a major source 

of information for MoCat. 

The new legislation gives GPO the responsibility to provide a more comprehensive 

directory or locator of electronic information available from the Federal govemment. 
I GPO ACCeSS - status Repon, June 30,1994 

Consequently, GPO has established a prototype Federal electronic directoty 

(Prototype Locator) that provides the public, directly or through a Federal depository 

library, free online access to a variety of applications that identify selected Federal 

information services and products. The Prototype Locator then either directs or 

connects the users to the referenced information. 

The Prototype Locator was developed through a contract with the University of 

Kentucky Research Foundation, on behalf of the University of Kentucky and the 

National Distance Learning Center. It is for $380,000 and runs through December, 

1994. It is funded by retained earnings from the Superintendent of Documents' Sales 

Program. 

1. Characteristics of the Prototype Locator Service 

A Prototype Locator has been developed that: 

Provides users with descriptive data on a wide variety of Federal information 

services and products as well as facilitating access to the referenced 

information. 

Provides a basis for the collection of data on user characteristics and needs, 

as well as tracking Prototype Locator usage. 

Demonstrates the feasibility of integrating the Prototype Locator with the 

other components of GPO Access, particularly the online databases available 

through the WAlS server. 

The Prototype Locator is designed: 

To allow users easy searching for information about selected Federal 

information services and products. 

* To be simple, intuitive, and self-instructing to allow users to obtain information 

quickly and efficiently. 

With software that is modular in design that permits upgrades with additional 

functions, capabilities, and enhancements. 

To allow for expansion fo a fully operational Locator Service with only 

reasonable reprogramming efforts. 

To be a hardware-independent open system, such that it can function on a 

variety of different operating systerdhardware platforms. 

To be compatible and work with Internet, as well as accessible through 

asynchronous communications (telephone and modem). 
GPO Access - status Report, June 30, 1994 

So that any data sets developed or collected by the Prototype Locator are 

available for reproduction and dissemination in ASCII format. 

To refer public users to holdings of Federal depository libraries and take 

orders for the GPO Sales Program. 

In developing the Locator Service, GPO sought to design a system that permits 

and encourages agencies to make data about their electronic information available 

locally, in a distributed system, under the control of the participating agencies. 

The Prototype Locator, really an initial group of model locator applications, was 

operational by May 1994 for preliminary testing and evaluation. Public access is 

scheduled for July 1994. 

The implementation uses a phased approach. The initial set of information was 

available in May 1994, with additional agencies or information sources being 

added gradually thereafter. The result will not be a single, central locator, but 

rather a series of inter-related, individual locator applications in several different 

locations. 

2. Prototype Locator Applications 

Two major GPO information sources, the Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government 

Publications (MoCat) and the Publications Reference File (PRF) are the core 

applications for the Prototype Locator. MoCat identifies print and electronic 

publications from a wide range of government agencies. PRF identifies print and 

electronic publications for sale by GPO. The MoCat locator application permits 

the user to identify a document and then obtain a list of nearby Federal depository 

libraries that select that type of material. The PRF locator application permits the 

user to order publications from GPO. 

Another application uses a database already offered by the Library of Congress 

(LC), the Congressional Bill Digest, to facilitate public identification of legislation 

enacted or in process. Sofhvare developed by the contractor permits natural 

language queries to be run against the LC database. This results in information 

that permits the user to identify bills and then order the full text from GPO as 

either Postscript or Acrobat PDF files or obtain them in other formats from 

alternative sources. 

GPO and its contractor are working with the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and 

the Department of Energy Mfice of Scientitic and Technical lnformation (OSTI) on 

additional locator applications. Other agencies are talking to GPO about 

incorporating their data in later phases. 

An essential locator application is the Federal Resource Registry. It can accept 

Government lnformation Locator Service (GILS) records from any Federal agency 

and provides a registry of the various agency locator applications that are linked 
r GPO Access - status ReDort, June 30, 1994 

through the GPO Access Locator Service. 

It is important to understand that the Locator Service is intended to identify and 

describe-but not necessarily to directly deliver-the full content of information 

resources in response to a user query. For example, a search of the PRF may 

identify a publication, but the user will need to go to a Federal depository library or 

purchase a copy from GPO to use it. 

3. GPO's Role in the Locator Service 

GPO's role in providing the Locator Service is that of a facilitator, a coordinator 

and a provider of tools that can be used by an agency that wishes to include in 

the Locator Service data that the agency is ready and able to offer to the public. 

Thus each agency can work at its own pace, based on available resources and 

interest. 

GPO will publicize the availability of the Locator Service and assist users in 

making their initial connection to it. GPO can train agency personnel and assist 

them in the implementation of their own portion of the Locator Service. As a 

distributed system, each agency's locator can be maintained locally and accessed 

directly by users, but it can also be linked (networked), so that users can search 

across many agencies. GPO also serves as the place where users might start if 

they are not sure which agency is likely to have information that would assist 

them, but the GPO Locator Service will not be the only path into the system. 

4. Free Public Access; Methods of Access 

Although the GPO Access legislation permits GPO to charge users, other than 

Federal depository libraries, for use of the Locator Service, access will be free to 

all users at least for the remainder of calendar year 1994. It is GPO's intention to 

continue this as a free public service if at all possible. 

Currently users can access the Locator Service through an Internet Telnet session 

or by using a phone modem to dial directly into GPO. As noted above, GPO will 

provide limited 800 service for depository libraries that do not have, and cannot 

obtain, lnternet service, and are outside of the Washington metropolitan area. 

5. Equipment; Software 

At present the equipment acquired as the GPO host for the Locator Service is a 

DEC 3000 Model 400 Alpha Workstation running OSFI1. This server has over 9 

gigabytes of hard disk storage. Additional equipment can be acquired in the 

future, based on the volume of use. 

The contractor is developing several client (user) interfaces that can be used by 

the public directly, or through the Federal depository libraries, to access the 
GPO ACCeSS - Status Report, June 30, 1994 

Locator Service. These will be models, but the system will allow agencies, or 

users, to develop alternative interfaces. GPO will distribute free client software for 

three operating systems, DOS, Windows and X-Windows (Unix). The client 

software will be released as it becomes available, probably in the fall. The DOS 

client will be suitable for unassisted public use in a Federal depository library and 

can support assistive technology for the sight impaired. 

6. Public Testing 

The contract for the development of the Prototype Locator provides for public 

testing for a period of six months. from July 1 through December 31. 1994. There 

will be at least 12 test sites, including libraries, schools, state and local 

government agencies and businesses. The testing phase involves: 

Development and testing of user manuals and related training materials. 

Training of staff and users at the test sites. 

Operation of a help desk for user support. 

Collection and analysis of data on Prototype Locator usage and acceptance 

at the test sites. 

7. Transfer of Operations; Contractor's Final Report 

Responsibility for operation and maintenanceof the initial Prototype Locator 

applications will be transferred from the contractor to GPO in the summer of 1994. 

GPO technical staff received training during May and June 1994, to prepare for 

this transfer. Additional training on the initial Prototype Locator applications and 

end-user software will be held at GPO during July. The contractor will continue to 

provide technical and consulting support through December 1994. 

The contractor's final report will summarize the data from the public testing and 

offer recommendations for expanding the Prototype Locator into a fully operational 

Locator Service. This report will also provide projections for operational costs and 

potential usage of the Locator Service during the next five years. 
GPO Access - Status Report, June 30, 1994 

VII. THE STORAGE FACILITY 

The GPO Access legislation requires the GPO to "operate an electronic storage facility 

for Federal electronic information to which online access is made available." This 

facility, named Information Depository for Electronic Access (IDEA), began receiving 

data on March 31, 1994. It is located in Owensboro, Kentucky. 

1. Purposes; Methods of Access 

The Storage Facility permits GPO to retain electronic files for extended periods of 

time after their short-term use for production of print products or active electronic 

dissemination, and it will provide a mechanism for access and retrieval of stored 

data files, including access through the Internet, as a service to Federal agencies 

and the public. As with other GPO services, publishing agencies will reimburse 

GPO for the costs of storing their databases in the facility. Agencies will be able 

to underwrite all, or a portion, of the costs of public access, thereby reducing costs 

to users of their data. 

Data files in the Storage Facility will be referenced in the Locator Service to 

facilitate public identification and retrieval. Fees will be established to recover the 

incremental costs of dissemination that are not funded by publishing agencies. 

Federal depository libraries will have access to the Storage Facility without charge. 

Costs for their access will be paid from the appropriation provided for the Federal 

Depository Library Program in the Legislative Branch Appropriation. 

2. Content 

The Storage Facility provides immediate remote access to the source data files for 

Federal information that have been made available through the GPO Access 

online services, thus assuring that these files are never "out of print." It will also 

be used as the original point for storing and providing public access to data files 

that are anticipated to have limited usage andlor are not appropriate for 

dissemination through the other online services. 

The initial data sets in the Storage Facility include the Congressional Record (from 

January 1994) and Federal Register (from January 1994), the Congressional 

Record Index (from 1992), and Enrolled Bills for the 103d Congress (1993-1994). 

The text files from these databases will be stored as ASCII files, with graphics 

stored as separate files in the TIFF format. Enrolled bills will also be stored as 

Adobe Acrobat PDF (portable document format) files. The volume and variety of 

information will increase as additional information is disseminated through the 

GPO Access online services. 
GPO Access - status Report, June 30, 1994 

3. Equipment 

The initial equipment for the IDEA facility includes a DEC 3000 Model 400 Alpha 

Workstation running OSFII, with 9 gigabytes of hard disk capacity. Future plans 

include adding a CD-ROM jukebox with 100 disc capacity; and an optical disc 

jukebox with 88 disc capacity, using 5.25" WORM [Write Once, Read Many] discs 

andlor erasable discs each with 1.3 gigabytes of storage. The facilrty will be 

accessible through the Internet, permitting access to the CD-ROM discs and 

retrieval of files stored on the optical discs. 

VIII. THE FEDERAL BULLETIN BOARD 

The House and Senate Reports on the GPO Access legislation acknowledged the 

existence of The Federal Bulletin Board and incorporated it into GPO Access. The 

bulletin board service (BBS) enables Federal agencies to provide the public with 

immediate, self-service access to Government information in electronic form at 

reasonable rates. During the past six months over 16,000 files were download, 

transferring over 3.2 gigabytes of information to users of The Federal Bulletin Board. 

1. Key Features 

In addition to supporting the transfer of a wide variety of data files for a fee, the 

free services that The Federal Bulletin Board offers include: 

Telephone help service on weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Eastem 

time, at (202) 512-1530, as well as communication via fax at (202) 512-1262 

or through BBS E-Mail to BBS Assistance. Selected agency staff are also 

available for E-Mail consultation. 

A User's Manual available for downloading. 

Browsing functions for the various menus and libraries on the board, 

including searching for keywords that describe the content of each file. 

Online ordering for free GPO sales catalogs as well as for CD-ROMs and 

other GPO sales items. 

Reference files to assist users in the location and use of files. 

Subject Bibliographies to help users to identify publications of interest that 

are for sale from GPO. 

Forums that provide information on a variety of subject areas, including 

implementation of the GPO Access Legislation (Public Law 10340). 
GPO Access - Status ReDOrt June 30. 1994 

2. Content of Files 

As of June 1994, the bulletin board has over 5,000 files representing more than 18 

Federal agencies from all three branches of the Federal government, including 

files from such agencies as: 

Congress 

- The White House 

The Supreme Court 

Department of Energy 

Department of Justice 

- Department of State 

Environmental Protection Agency 

Federal Highway Administration 

- Food and Drug Administration 

General Accounting Office 

Government Printing Office 

Health Care Financing Administration 

- Internal Revenue Service 

Merit System Protection Board 

Office of Foreign Assets Control 

Office of the Federal Register 

Public Health Service 

Social Security Administration 

The bulletin board includes files on subjects such as: 

Federal Budget, FY 1995 

Federal Depository Library Program 

Foreign Countries 

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GAm 

Health Care Reform 

Human Rights 

Iran-Contra Report 

National Export Strategy 

National Information Infrastructure 

National Performance Review 

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) 

Pending and Enacted egis la ti on 

Press Releases 

Proposed and Final Rules 
GPO ACCeSS - Status Reoort June 30. 1994 

This information is available in a variety of formats, including: 

ASCII Wordperfect 

Postscript Acrobat PDF 

Lotus 123 dBase 

Executable Soflware 

3. Methods of Access; Software 

Currently users can access The Federal Bulletin Board through an Internet Telnet 

session or by using a phone modem to dial directly into GPO. A variety of 

standard off-the-shelf communications soflware can be used to access the bulletin 

board. 

4. Depository Library Access; Fees 

Federal depository libraries have access to fee-based services of The Federal 

Bulletin Board without charge. Costs for this access are paid from the 

appropriation provided for the Federal Depository Library Program in the 

Legislative Branch Appropriation. 

Fees for other users are set so as to recover the incremental cost of 

dissemination. Users do not pay a minimum fee or any charge for the time spent 

online. All charges are based on the size of file downloaded. The minimum 

charge is $2 per file. The average price of a file downloaded from The Federal 

Bulletin Board is $5. 

Payment methods include Mastercard, VISA, or GPO Deposit Account. Users are 

charged only when a fee-based file is downloaded. 

A brochure that is used to promote The Federal Bulletin Board and respond to 

inquiries is attached as Exhibit G. 
I GPO Access - status ~eport, June 30, 1994 

IX. FUTURE PLANS 

GPO concluded that the type of online interactive service that must be provided to 

meet a broader spectrum of Federal depository library and public needs and to 

completely satisfy the requirements of the legislation requires a longer development 

cycle than the one year provided in the GPO Access legislation. Consequently, while 

developing the WAlS server applications to meet the statutory deadline, GPO also 

defined requirements for an enhanced Online Interactive Service and began the 

necessary steps to fulfill these requirements. 

1 Use of SGML 

GPO recognized that to garner potentially significant economies throughout the 

Federal sector, an acceptable standardized data structure must be employed. 

This structure should begin at the authoring level and remain usable throughout 

the publishing processes, whether publishing in electronic or traditional printed 

format. Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML), prescribed by Federal 

Information Processing Standard 152, was selected as the appropriate means to 

accomplish these objectives. 

Consequently, GPO is changing to production of the Congressional Record and 

Federal Register using SGML. Efforts to develop Document Type Definitions 

(DTD) for both the Record and Register are well underway. This is a prerequisite 

to implementation of an enhanced Online lnteractive Service. 

In addition to preparing documents in-house using SGML, GPO expects to offer 

training so that Federal agencies can incorporate SGML during the authoring 

process. Eventually, requirements for SGML will be incorporated into 

commercially procured printinglinformation products. Use of this standardized 

data structure will provide a coherent and unambiguous syntax for describing the 

elements of information in the textual data and delineating the inter-relationships 

between those elements, thus increasing the availability of Government 

information for public use in more universally accepted electronic formats. 

2. Software Procurement 

A notice was published in the Commerce Business Daily on August 18, 1993, 

announcing that GPO would ,procure an off-the-shelf build engine and retrieval 

software site license for use in electronically disseminating Government 

publications. This software will be used to produce CD-ROMs and online 

interactive databases from SGML-structured files. 

A Request for Proposal (RFP) to procure this software was issued in midNovember 1993. A pre-proposal conference was held in December 1993. 

Although the RFP solicited commercially available soffware, GPO recognized that 
GPO ACCeSS - status Repoft, June 30, 1994 

the procured software might require substantial customization for these particular 

applications and issued an amendment in March 1994, addressing these and 

other issues raised during the pre-proposal conference. Proposals were 

received in mid-May 1994, and are currently under review. The award date is 

presently projected for September 1, 1994. 

3. SGML-Based Interactive Search and Retrieval 

In addition to providing a greatly enhanced search and retrieval capability, five 

additional features of the enhanced Online lnteractive Service are regarded as 

very important. The SGML database structure will permit: 

- Creation of databases at the authoring stage that are suitable for publication 

via conventional printing methods, online interactive access and CD-ROMs, 

without the need for GPO to manipulate the data to produce one product or 

the other, and with the online and CD-ROM versions capable of employing 

the same user interface. 

Incorporation of data from one publication into another with a different printed 

format (such as Bills into the congressional Record or Federal ~e~ister 

documents into the CFR) without manipulation. 

Automated composition (print on demand) of data extracted from 

electronically disseminated databases in the same format as the "official" 

printed publication, or in fomat(s) chosen by the user. 

GPO to eliminate the need to re-key and proofread publication data, because 

it makes it possible for publishing customers to submit validated, 

machine-readable data. 

Exponential increases in the amount of Federal information that can be made 

available electronically to the public, if a conforming database is specified as 

a deliverable in future Printing Procurement contracts, along with the printed 

information products. 

4. Alternative Forms of Dissemination 

CD-ROM publications may be used to provide archival copies of the data from the 

Online lnteractive Service andlor to serve users who cannot or do not choose to 

use the online services. These CD-ROMs will employ the same user intehce as 

the Online lnteractive Service, thus reducing retraining of users who do use both 

fomats. 

Affirmative transmission, via satellite or other methods, will be considered as an 

additional means of dissemination if there is sufficient user interest to pennit full 

cost recovery. 

A 
GPO ACCeSS - status Report, June 30, 1994 

I 

X. COSTS AND FINANCING 

The GPO Access legislation does not authorize appropriations, but it does authorize 

GPO to charge users for the incremental cost of distribution. Although no 

appropriations are made directly for GPO Access, per se, appropriations made to 

publishing agencies may be available to create databases, maintain information in the 

Storage Facility, and othewise participate in the GPO Access services. However, in 

the absence of appropriations to cover the other costs for maintaining the system and 

providing services to users, GPO must recover all such costs from the fees charged 

for its services. 

1. Sources of Funding 

GPO is a self-supporting agency, receiving fees for its production and 

procurement services to Congress and Federal agencies and for its sale of 

Government information to the public. Publishing agencies, including the 

Congress, generally will continue to pay the "first copy" or development costs, as 

they do with current paper and CD-ROM products. They will do this with their 

own funds and under their authority, reimbursing GPO for its services. This 

certainly means that agencies will have a very substantial voice in deciding on the 

content and characteristics of the services that GPO offers. 

The Legislative Branch Appropriation does include funding for Congress' own 

printing and binding through the annual Congressional Printing & Binding (CPBB) 

appropriation. It also provides funding for four programs, including the Federal 

Depository Library Program, through the annual Salaries & Expenses (S&E) 

appropriation. The appropriate congressional database development costs and 

operating expenses for certain congressional usage are being charged to CP&B. 

The expenses for Federal depository library use are being charged to the S&E 

appropriation. 

When information is disseminated through the GPO Access services, the 

incremental cost of dissemination will be recovered from the recipients or, in the 

case of the Federal depository libraries, from the (SBE) appropriation provided to 

the Superintendent of Documents for that program. This would include any costs 

necessary for maintaining the system; providing user support; training and 

documentation; and software licensing fees, as well as general and administrative 

expenses. 

The funding sources for the GPO Access services are flexible, and specific 

amounts cannot be estimated with accuracy at this time because the evolution of 

the service will result from the decisions of many Federal agencies regarding their 

participation. Moreover, the volume of use, in tun, is dependent on the types of 

information that are made available through the service. Therefore, the major 

determinants of the size of the program and its costs are based on the decisions 

of publishing agencies and potential users. Total program funding will vary based 
GPO Access - status Report, June 30, 1994 

on the demand for services and the supply of databases made available, but the 

revenue from users of the GPO Access services must be sufficient, over time, to 

recover all incremental dissemination costs. This is the basic concept underlying 

the revolving fund mechanism under which most GPO programs operate. 

2. Pricing of Current and Future Services 

GPO has priced the present online services at the estimated "incremental cost" as 

directed by law. As experience is gained, prices will be adjusted to assure that 

incremental costs are accurately reflected in the prices. The more users there are 

and the more databases that are made available, the lower the incremental costs 

will be per user per database. 

Prior to full public release. SGML-based services will be tested at a number of 

sites to gather information on the quality and value of the services and facilitate 

estimation of usage and costs. This testing will include both Federal depository 

libraries and a variety of organizations that are representative of users. 

The law requires that the GPO Access services be self-sustaining. As a result, 

the selection of publications and services to be offered will partially depend on: 

The willingness of publishing agencies to fund public access to these 

services. 

The ability of GPO to generate sufficient income from fees paid by those who 

purchase services. 

The abilrty of GPO to re-allocate limited funds from the appropriation that is 

provided for the Federal Depository Library Program to support usage by that 

community. 

As currently occurs with other print and electronic publications, reimbursement for 

development costs incurred by GPO will come from fees paid to GPO by the 

publishing agencies. 

3. Development Expenditures and Operating Costs 

Based on the presently available information, GPO estimates that the capital 

expenditures for GPO Access (the Locator, the Online Interactive Service, and the 

Storage Facility) will amount to about $1.0 million, cumulative over the first three 

years of the program. Total GPO operating expenditures are expected to total 

about $.7 million during the first year of implementation of the initial online 

services. Publishing agencies may incur additional expenses in developing 

databases for the online services and participating in the Locator Service. 
GPO Access - Status RepOfi, JUne 30, 1994 

4. Benefits and Savings from Dissemination of Electronic Information 

Net savings in terms of reduced distribution of paper copies, if any, as a result of 

online dissemination may not be realized for several years. Cost reductions due 

to electronic formats, such as CD-ROM, can be substantial for individual 

publications, if paper copies are eliminated. Making information contained in 

government electronic databases available online promotes equity and 

accessibility in information dissemination. Data is available online nationwide 

substantially before paper copies can be distributed. Benefits accrue to the users 

in terms of increased productivity and timely access to information. 

CD-ROM and other electronic formats are beginning to replace paper publications 

and are being used to disseminate information never published in paper formats. 

Certain publications that would have been prohibitively expensive to produce in 

paper are being published as CD-ROMs. Given the cost advantage per volume of 

data afforded by CD-ROM over traditional paper alternatives, efficiency in 

information dissemination is greatly increased by the growing use of CD-ROM. 

Microfiche publications presently account for about 60 percent of depository library 

distributions. The use of optical disc technology may begin to replace microfiche. 

In the early years of implementation, the savings will be minimal, if any. Much of 

the potential savings as compared with paper copies, have already been realized 

through the use of microfiche. 

In the longer term, significant savings may be possible, even for publications 

presently distributed only in microfiche format, as the government moves toward 

implementation of Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) format. 

Creation of databases in SGML format will facilitate the storage, search, and 

retrieval of data. SGML will allow microfiche formats as well as paper to be 

replaced with online full text that can be accessed just when needed. These 

trends, which are driven by the pace of technology, should eventually result in 

reduced dissemination costs and increased services. 
I GPO Access - Status ReDOrt, June 30, 1994 

LIST OF EXHIBITS 

Exhibit A: Legislative History of Public Law 10340 

Exhibit B: Initial Equipment Configuration for the Portions of GPO Access Accessible 

to the Public 

Exhibit C: GPO Access Press Release 

Exhibit D: GPO Access Brochure 

Exhibit E: Federal Register Cover and Page II with Subscription Rates and 

Instructions 

Exhibit F: Congressional Record Page with Subscription Rates and Instructions 

Exhibit G: The Federal Bulletin Board Brochure 
GPO ACC~SS - status Report, June 30, 1994 

Exhibit A: 

Legislative History of Public Law 103-40 
I GPO Access - Status Report, June 30, 1994 

Legislative History of Public Law 10340 

[S. 5641 June 8, 1993, 107 Stat. 112, 44 USC 5 4101- 

Government Printing Oftice 

Electronic Information Access Enhancement Act of 1993 

Legislative History citations: 

103d Congress 

S. 564 Government Printing Office Electronic Information Access Enhancement Act 

of 1993 

March 11. 1993 Congressional Record, p. 52781-, introductory statement by Mr. Ford 

March 18, 1993 Senate Report 103-27. Committee on Rules and Administration 

March 22, 1993 Congressional Record, p. S3383-, considered and passed Senate 

May 25, 1993 House Report 103-108. Committee on House Administration 

May 25, 1993 Congressional Record, p. H2771-, considered and passed House 

June 8, 1993 Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, wl. 29, p. 1043, President's 

Statement on Signing 

Parallel bill: 

H.R. 1328 Government Printing Office Elecbvnic Information Access Enhancement Act 

of 1993 

March 11, 1993 Congressional Record, p. H1231, introduced by Rep. Rose 

April 1, 1993 House Report 103-51, Committee on House Administration 

Precursor bills: 

102d Congress 

H.R. 5983 Government Printing Office Electronic Information Access Enhancement Act 

of 1992 

September 22, 1992 Congressional Record, p. H8965, introduced by Rep. Rose: p. E2737, 

statement 

September 29, 1992 House Report 102-933, Committee on House Administration 

September 29, 1992 Congressional Record, p. H9683, passed in House; received in Senate, 

referred to Committee on Rules 

S. 2813 GPO Gateway to Government Act of 1992 

June 4, 1992 Congressional Record, p. S7599, introduced by Sen. Gore, statement 

July 23, 1992 Joint Hearing on S. 2813 and H.R. 2772, Senate Committee on Rules and 

Committee on House Administration 

H.R. 2772 GPO Wide lnfwmation Network for Online Act of 1991 ("WINDO) 

June 26, 1991 Congressional Record, introduced by Rep. Rose (37 cosponsors) 

April 8, 1992 Congressional Record. p. H2465, statement by Mr. Owens on National 

Library Week, discussing WlNDO bill and inserting Ameiican Library 

Association Fact Sheet 

July 23. 1992 Joint Hearing on H.R. 2772 and S. 2813, Committee on House Administration 

and Senate Committee on Rules 
GPO Access - Status ReDOK June 30. 1994 

IOIst Congress 

H.R. 3849 Government Printing ORice Improvement Act of 1990 

January 24. 1990 Congressional Record. p. E35. statement on introduction by Jim Bates. 

January 23, 1990 

March 7-8, 1990 Hearings on H.R. 3849. Subcommittee on Procurement and Printing, 

Committee on House Administration 

Other Background: 

Hearing. Joint Committee on Printing, New Technology and the Government Printing ORice. S. 

Hrg. 102-1 15. June 19, July 24, 1991 

Hearing, Joint Committee on Printing, Government lnformation as a Public Asset, S. Hrg. 102-114, 

April 25. 1991 

Hearings, Subcommittee on Procurement and Printing, Committee on House Administration, 'Ttle 

44 U.S.C.- Revie#, May 23-24, June 28-29, 1989 

Informing the Nation: Federal lnformation Dissemination in an Electronic Age. United States 

Congress, ORice of Technology Assessment. October 1988 

Provision of Federal Government Publications in Electronic Format to Depository Libraries. Report 

of the Ad Hoc Committee on Depository Library Access to Federal Automated Data Bases to the 

Joint Committee on Printing. S. Prt. 98-260. December 1984 

Legislative Branch Appropriations Hearings. Part 2, testimony, various years 
GPO ACCeSS - Status Repoft, June 30, 1994 

Exhibit 6: 

Initial Equipment Configuration for the 

Portions of GPO Access Accessible to the Public 
Initial Equipment Configuration for GPO Access System 

(June 30,1994) 

Access Room Telecornmunicatlons Room 

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Ovrubom. XY 

:,.....,...,.,,....,,,,*.,,,,*,,,,*,,,,,,,,,.,~~.~a..~..~~.~.~..~..................~....,.. .1....1..11.....1...,.,,,.,.,.,,.,.,.....,,,,,,,,,,..,,.,,,,. 

fheds, Schuman. Srymcrd ImERNRT rav. 6.30-W) 
r 

GPO Access - Status Report, June 30, 1994 

Exhibit C: 

GPO Access Press Release 
GPO Access - Sfatus Report, June 30, 1994 

News UNITED 

STATES 

GOVERNMENT Release PRINTING 

OFFICE 

For Release : IWDIATE Conlacc: John Berger 

June 7, 1994 202-512-1525 

No. 94-6 

ONLINE CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, FEDERAL REGISTER SERVICE DEBUTS 

The official Government versions of The Congressional Record 

and the-Federal Register are -now available online the day of 

publication via the rapidly expanding information superhighway. 

Users connected to the Interget will be able to access the 

full text and all graphics of the Record and the Register. 

Electronic versions of the Federal Register are being produced in 

a cooperative project by the Office of the Federal Register (OFR) 

and the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing 

Off ice (GPO) . GPO's Production Department normally will make the Federal 

Register available online by 6 a.m. EST on the day of publication. 

The Congressional Record will be available between 9 a.m. and 11 

a.m. depending on when Congress adjourns the previous day. 

The public will have free access through participating Federal 

Depository Libraries. Organizations or individuals may purchase a 

subscription for access using their own computer terminals. 

The databases reside on a GPO system using a Wide Area 

Information Server (WAIS) providing search and retrieval access 

over the Internet. The Congressional Record dates back to the 

beginning of the 2d session of the 103d Congress in January 1994. 

The Federal Register includes all issues beginning with January 4, 

1994. The Congressional Record Index (1992-94) and all Enrolled 

Bills (bills passed by both the House and Senate) of the 103d 

Congress (1993-1994) also are available. 

- over - 
The release of the databases on June 8, 1994, marked the 

launch of an online system of access to Government information 

provided under the GPO Electronic Information Access Enhancement 

Act of 1993 (PL 103-40). The GPO Access legislation had bipartisan 

support. It was introduced in the Senate by Sen. Wendell H. Ford 

(KY) and co-sponsored by Sen. Ted Stevens (AK) and Sen. Larry 

Pressler (SD). In the House it was introduced by Rep. Charlie Rose 

(NC) and co-sponsored by Rep. Newt Gingrich (GA), Rep. Sam 

Gejdenson (CT), Rep. Gerald D. Kleczka (WI), Rep, Pat Roberts (KS) 

and Rep. William M. Thomas (CA). President Clinton signed it into 

law June 8, 1993. 

The Congressional Record is a verbatim report of Congressional 

debates and other proceedings. The Federal Register is the daily 

"record" of the executive branch of the Federal Government. It 

allows the public to follow regulatory activities of the Government 

and to participate in the development of rules and regulations. 

The Register also includes Sunshine Act meeting notices and 

Presidential documents. 

The GPO Access service is an important step in providing 

public access to the Government's growing store of electronic 

information. The Superintendent of Documents will add appropriate 

online databases to expand the system at the request of publishing 

agencies. 

Users with full Internet access and WAIS client software will 

be able to receive all charts and graphics in the Record and 

Register. WAIS client software will be available from GPO. 

Those who do not have Internet connections can access ASCII 

text files without graphics through an Internet Telnet session or 

by using a phone modem to dial directly into GPO. 

A subscription to either the Congressional Record (including 

the 1992-94 Record Indexes) or to the Federal Register costs $35 

per month, $200 for 6 months or $375 for 1 year for one work 

station. The Enrolled Bills database is available initially as a 

1-year subscription for $60. Discounts are available for multiple 

work stations. 

- more - 
GPO Access - Status ReDon, JUne 30, 1994 

The WAIS databases will be available for free public access at 

many of the 1,400 Federal Depository Libraries located throughout 

the United States and its territories. The Depository System 

includes academic, public, law, and Federal libraries. There is at 

least one depository in every Congressional District. 

Information about how to subscribe to the Record or Register 

is available by calling GPO at (202) 512-1530 or by fax at (202) 

512-1262. Internet E-mail should be sent to help@eids05.ei'ds.gpo. 

The WAIS,server is the first phase of development for the GPO 

Access service. The agency plans to create the Record and Register 

databases using Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) in 

January 1995. This SGML based system will permit more powerful 

search and retrieval capabilities making it easier for users to 

find specific information in the databases. 

Under the GPO Access Act the Superintendent of Documents will 

develop and maintain two other components of the system. The first 

is an electronic directory of Federal electronic information 

designed to assist the public in locating documents. The second is 

an electronic storage facilty which will retain databases and 

provide online access to them. 

The Locator service uses natural language queries by subject 

or key phrase to identify and locate Federal information. It will 

enable users to order publications from the GPO Sales Program, or 

to locate documents available at Depository Libraries. 

The electronic storage facility is located at Owensboro, KY, 

and began receiving data files from the WAIS server on March 31, 

1994. The storage facility will be accessible over the Internet 

through the Locator service. 

The Federal Bulletin Board, established by GPO in Septemter 

1992, was designated part of the GPO Access service by the new law, 

PL 103-40. The bulletin board currently contains more than 5,000 

files from 18 agencies 'representing all three branches of the 

Federal Government. Subjects included are the GATT and NAFTA 

agreements, the National Performance Review, and health care 

reform. 

- over - 
GPO Access - Status Report, June 30, 1994 

Users may access The Federal Bulletin Board via the 

Internet attelnet Federal.access.gpo.gov 3001 (Port 3001) or dialin at (202) 512-1387 (modem settings B,N,l,full duplex). 

The Superintendent of Documents is the official Bource for the 

sale of information published by more than '100 Federal agencies. 

Some 12,000 books or documents, 600 periodicals, and a growing 

number of CD-ROMs, diskettes, and online services are available. 
I GPO Access - Status Report, JUne 30, 1994 

Exhibit D: 

GPO Access Brochure 
The Prototype Federal Locator Federal Dullelin Board Fnlu~ GPO Access 

An clcctmnic directory of Federal a telephone help service A Better Way To Available Online, 

information pmducls and services, the free users mond Find Federal Information Updated Daily! 

Pmtotypc Pedml Locator pmvides uscrs 6 he browsing fimclians 

with descriptions ofa wide voricty or online ordering for othu ales pmducts GPO Access consirts oE 

FC~U~I informtion sourtcs. he forums that ~mvide iniomtion on n Federal Re~ister, - -~~ ~~ - 

introductory dabbaocs hcilitats access lo numbu of subject awe. a system of online access to the 

lislings in the GPO Publications Refirem Congre~~ional Record, 

More than 5,000 files fmm over 18 Congressional Record, the Federal 

File (PRF), ncent issues of the Monthly Regkter and othn datnbwcs, The 

Catalog OJ U.S. Govemmenf Publicottons &femmcnt agencies re~mnting dl Enrolled Bills 

branchw ofthe Fcdd Government are 

WAlS Sewer. 

(MoCat), and the Congrcssionol Bill 

Digest. available in a variety of formats and on a an clcctronic directory of all formats through 

wide varic(y of subjesa. Prices for 

The Pmloypc Fcdvel ~ocaior can either paid files are bed on the sizc of the of Federal information, The Federal GPO Access 

refer users to Federal Degasitory Libraries Ole downloaded or retrieved to the screen. Loenlor. A Service oflhe 

U.S. Govcmrnent Prlnfing Omce for fc mu to referenced mlerinls or . an electronic stomgefacllily, enable customers to ordupublicntions fmm Federal IDEA (Information 8 the GPO Sales Pmgm. If lhe Locator 

Internet telmt to fcden~l.bbs.gp.gov Depository for Electronic Ac-). linkr the user with other compncnls of 

GPO Accus, then the uyr will have to 3001 @a 3001) 

Modem did in to (202) 512-1387 . an electronic bulletin board for 

establish a valid method of payment befors immcdinte. self-service access to getting the desired infomtion. (Settings: 8 biu, no parity, I Mop Oovemmwl information. The 

Fedwl Bulletin Board. 

accessible over the Internet via Telnel 

to locator.acccru.gpo.gov, ar wcil as 

hugh arynchmnous communicatirms 

at (202) 512-1661. Login as localor 

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inc-entd wsu of diusminnlion, with 

free acccns to Federal Depository Librsries. 

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use a mmpuIer and modem to dial (202) 2-10 work mtla~ I750 prpu 6rmnnb...~~k~.Wb*dmnu~1, 

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1 
GPO ACCe55 - Status Report, June 30, 1994 

Exhibit E: 

Federal Register Cover and 

Page II with Subscription Rates and Instructions 
United States 

Government 

Printing Office YlRRlNrENDENT 

Or DOCUUENTS 

wlihinplon. DC IDLO1 

1 SECOND CLASS NEWSPAPER 1 
GPO ACCeSS - status Report, June 30, 1994 

I1 Federal bister - I Vol. 59. No. 113 I Tuesdav. . June 14. 1994 . 

SUBSCRlPnONS Arm COPES 

PUBUC 

PPpr or fiche 2(n-7KwzsIl 

m- ~EGlsrrn Publish4 daily. Monday (hmu$b Friday. Arrimocc with public subsciptionr 51- 

(not ublkhcd on S.N&yr. Sundays, or on ofkid holidays). by Onlin: 

tb.Bffi~ortha~drnl~.~ettonrl~iva~~rmrdr 

Adminirmtion, W-,,, DC zeros, ,,,,& the FaLnl wwr Tab01 wk.acar*gpo.gov. login u nnnuer <en-. no 

M (49 SOL SCa, u 44 U.S.C Ch. 15) md the p.mord cone, or ure a mcdan lo d (2.02) 512-1661.' 

@ah of+ Admwumn comminm of the Fdd wer I+ as mL. no word atan. at the secmd I+ u 

[I CTRCh. I). ' ' isandoonly hSu . mdenrof n- centan. no pl"ord centtn. 

-U. A%EI~~ Rinting a=. W~D. DC Asidare with online mbsmiptionr ~WlMUO 

The F.dml pmvido • unifonn system for 

mule m pubhc -ti- md ~g.l rrm= 

Fed& -a Thma include R.ri&nti.l rmdamatiom and 

hDy~"Cvdsn wJ Pohd rgncy documdno hanug genml 

appl~abhIy and kal .f6so. docurnoom qumd m ta pubhshcd byaaof~mdabaFedml 

~nr- Docvnwntr M on fib for plb~cy~~,*~%L~ 

01 &e Fcdanl R4IMr tho day bfors they ue publabed. uleu 

SU pOII 1- by .anding lo-1 bdl l0 

he!+ 1d.Q5.cidrgpo.gov, ff a fex m 1.702) 512-1262. or by calling 

1202) 512-1530 baweaD 7 am. aud 5 p.m. Em6m time. Monday thmugb Friday. cpspt Fdd 

Svprintendcnt of Dooxrmnts. P.O. Box 3719%. PiRsbugh. PA 

15250-7954. 

Thm ae no ~~UicIions on rbs mpublication of material appearing intheicdml~. 

Ha To Cite 'Ihir Pub- Use the volume number and the 

number. Ermnpb: 59 PR 12345. 

Singkwplahukmpa. 

Rpe .XI& 

Assinuul with public single copin 

FlD5L4L AGPIW 

Rpu m fiche 

Asrirunce with Fedenl agency su&ptionr 

Fo.ab=*Irpbr~-lbP-hrAiL.mh 

alblddthbi 

THE FEDERAL REGISER 

WHAT IT IS AND HOW TO USE IT 

FOE MI - wb - LI F~~~I ~.gi.u ~~ds or pedal 

RcsuMonr. 

WHO. Tb. OR- d Ih. Fdml l(rgL~.r. 

WWT: Fir public khp (ap-t.1, 3 bur,) u, puow 

1. ma qu*w -, -5th. bsvr on lb. Fehd kgii 

srr- and Ih. public's mle in the d.nlopmsm of 

qubti2. The nbtionrhip bn-n the F&d Wor and Cde of 

Fdd Regubtioru 

3. Tb. imponml .hu or mi-1 ~donl~cginu 

doc-nu 

4. An iwmduaio. ~1 Ih. finding .i& or lb. - qsm 

WlW To pride thr public with a- to id-tim nsorrrq lo 

mse+cb FOdP.I.wrq mpbtiom which did .IbC( Lh.m 

Tbsn -511 b m discush of rpacitic .*racy quhiau. 

WASHINGTON. DC 

m. June 23 at 9na am 

WHERE Offrcs of the Fed& RegisIer 

Conference R- 8m Nonh Gpilo) S5eet 

NW.. Wvhingtos DC 13 bloctr nath of 

Union Station Meml 

WERVATIONS: 202-52-538 
t GPO ~ccess - status Report, June 30, 1994 

Exhibit F: 

Congressional Record Page 

With Subscription Rates and Instructions 
1 GPO Access - Status Report, June 30, 1994 1 

$ 

Nni Mee1i.b dl& SENATE 

9 rm Twrdy, Jum 28 

Nesl Mrrriaz of #k HOUSE OF REPRESENTAnVFS 

10.30 am. Tuady. June 28 

Pmgrnm for Tuaday. Se~ce will mme conridention 

d S. 687, Roducr LiDbility himess Am. with a clorute 

vore to onur rherron. and r vote on or in relation to the 

KohlIbhrnlMumy Ammdmcnr No. 1930 m mr at 

10 rm 

(hu uiff rarrr J~WJ 1230 p.ar rnril ?:IS p.a jw 

m mf-) 

Propam for Tuesday. Gnsidenrion of the fdbwing 

two Suspensions: 

1. H.R. 3626. Antirnrw Rdonn An; and 

2. HA. 3636. Nuid Canrnunicacioor CanpcritDn 

ud Infonnmtion IDfrPrrnmute Am. 

Complete roddention d H.R. 4606, Lpbor, HHS, 

Appmpriati- for Fiscal Year 1995. 

Extensions of Remarks, as inserted in this issue 

&"11L5DaAl..nm 

m L Jr.. QIU. UP1 

mY."L Jar m.. mE4 

BsrW*L.V..WI 

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lnMm~lc IM- when rm or mom ~&ly dl 00~~Ve lonu art minred ar one rlme. (Ihe Ca!lOUd 

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caps. I 6sndon (Jmam7 1991) 1-ard, Ic I anllsbk on a Vlde drsr In(omutim Sam IWNS) mgb Un blnrcr~er and via 

n*-chmaop. dm-m. - -~ Ih mnd mbmiotlo. 1- for a .I=le rak8tar.lmh m6.U month sutemlm,lona ue idlble for Pm ma me --~ ~ 

month of - un bs umcbcd lor 05 m&u &a i-• fw mulUpltmrksuUon eub8~Im,lolu To ~\*CllbC. hums Y(n 

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n- Id: 1- a): no mar h malm2: Polioa Zb. b.sUucUona on the lrnen u, ~WI for a anMRlon for ch Co-d 

Rsmrd Oode rln GPO Aass. For rslliunsc. oxuct Zb. GPO Aaaa Urr 6-2- TsMl bv un4lnt Uwmec cW u, 

b.l~idS5eIdypD.m. or a ~u u, S1aQ w caiu!zg tm) 51%1-1590 bmtm 7 M. wad 5 prr~ - -lmc. Nondw -n 

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pcsw. at Lbc loll- jda: lrp~~ dtlo~. nu fez ax monZhL &?5 pa m, ar Lcu fYll pr lssac -6 ln .;tv.rs: 

rmcroncbd edldo~. nu pa yu. or mrckwd for s.50 psr &sue wsble In .dFioer ibe udmwnw -9- msa Inda mw bc 

-hurdIorthonm.pyiswp.lcarR~tchskamwJ~a.mpPRbleu,thr~mdsntd~~d~u,tbs 

cmanmentp~tlq ma. waathmm. D.C. ~D~OZ 1mmmin~ tach ~cm d caamea a 6.111 CO&W ~soord IS &&. pincad. 

pemomuy baud &ud 8t-M b~ &pglno~onc OIDmrnanu In I~dliidwl DUL( or b9 ICU 1Wim W exd~Ptlon orcamghtdd dda L!- ue no ~crlo~ on Zb. mrabllation of mamtd imm ¶he ConuTmI0c.d Fxad. 
1 GPO ACCeSS - Status Repoft, June 30, 1994 

Exhibit G: 

'The Federal Bulletin Board Brochure 
Over 5.000 Files Available 

Including Agency film from.. . THE 

The U.S. Congress FEDERAL THE 

The White House 

The Supreme court BULLETIN BOARD FEDERAL 

Department of Energy 

Denartnient of Justice BULLETIN 

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Environmental Protection Agency INEXPENSIVE! 

BOARD 

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Food and Drug Adniinistration U.S. Government Printing Office 

General Accounting Ofiice CONNECT TODA Y 

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r licalth Care Financing Administration 

Telnet 

federal.bbs.gpo.gov3001 Over 18 Government Agencies r Internal Revenue Service 

(port 3001) Providing More Than 5,000 Files Oflice of the Federal Register 

r Ofiice of Foreign ~ssets~control 

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. . . and,msny more! 

SUR.IECT FILES 

The Federal Bulletin Board carries tiles 

on a wide variety of subjects, such as: 

GATr & NAFTA 

I leallli Care Reform 

National I'erfomance Review 

VARIETY OF FILE FORMATS 

ASCII PostScript 

Lotus 123 dBase 

Acrobat I'DI: WordPerfect 

And other formats 161941 

Requirements for Internet 

work station with telnet connectivity 

Requirements for Dial-In 

Personal Computer 

Modem 

Telecommunications SoRware 

Modem Settings For Dial-In 

8 bits 

No parity 

l Stop Bit 

Full Duplex 

1200-9600 Baud 

New Files Added Daily 

Easy and Inexpensive 

Use the lnternet or Dial In 
I'HE FEDERAL SULLE1'IN.BOARU 

CONVENIENT ACCESS 

The Federal Bulletin Board service enables 

Federal agencies to provide the public with 

immediate, self-service access to Government 

information in electronic form at reasonable 

rates or free through agency sponsorship. 

Day or night, weekday or weekend, you can 

access Federal information and place orders for 

selected GPO sales items tluough The Federal 

Bulletin ~oard. Telnet Federal.bbs.gpo.gov 

3001 (Port 3001). If you have a modem. 

telecommunications software and a telephone 

line, you can access The Federal Bulletin 

Board by calling (202) 512-1387. 

EASY TO USE SYSTEM FEATURES 

E-Mail communication directly to GPO 

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Telephone Help service on weekdays 

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Free User's Manual available for 

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and CD-ROM's and other selected GPO 

sales materials. 

Free Reference Files assist in the location 

and use of bulletin board files. 

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subject areas. 

THE LATEST INFORMATION 

New files are added to The Federal 

Bulletin Board every day. Sign on 

frequently to see what new files are 

available in your area of interest. 

Select H on the main menu to find 

out what's New and Hot on GPO's 

electronic bulletin board. 

REASONABLY PRICED 

You can sign on and browse through the menus 

and libraries on The Federal Bulletfn Board 

free of charge. Prices for paid files are based on 

the size of the file downloaded or retrieved to 

the screen. The minimum file is $2. Our 

average file price is $7. 

EASY PAYMENT OPTIONS 

To become a validated user of The Federal 

Bulletin Board, use your VISA or 

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For more information on how to open a GPO 

Deposit Account, consult the information 

Center on The Federal Bulletin Board. 

There is no charge for time on-line or 

browsing and no subscription fee. 

GPO Access 

A Better Way To 

Find Federal Information 

GPO Access consists of: 

a system of online access to the 

Congressional Record, the Federal 

Register and other appropriate databases, 

The WAIS Server. 

an electronic directory of all formats 

of Federal information, The Federal 

Locator. 

an electronic storage facility, Federal 

IDEA (Information Depository for 

Electronic Access). 

an electronic bulletin board for immediate, 

self-service access to Government 

information, The Federal Bulletin Board. 

in or further information: 

Electronic information Dissemin~tion Services 

(EIDS) 

Mail Stop: SDE 

U. S. Government Printing Oflice 

Washington, DC 20401 

Phone: (202) 512-1530 

Fax: (202) 512-1261