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.

Bill: 119-hr-1234
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Bice, Stephanie I. [R-OK-5]
Introduced: 2025-02-12
Policy area: Congress
Subjects: Books and print media

Constitution and constitutional amendments

Digital media

Government information and archives

Library of Congress
Latest action: action_date: 2025-04-01
text: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration.

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-02-12
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>This bill replaces the requirement for the Library of Congress to prepare hardbound versions of the Constitution Annotated and supplements with a requirement for the Library to instead prepare digital versions and publish them online.</p><p>The new requirement applies to the supplement after the Supreme Court term beginning October 2025 and all subsequent editions.</p>

tv_txt: I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1234 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AN ACT 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.

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.

Passed the House of Representatives March 31, 2025. Kevin F. McCumber, Clerk.

tv_txt: IIB 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1234 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES April 1 (legislative day, March 31), 2025 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration AN ACT 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.

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.

Passed the House of Representatives March 31, 2025. Kevin F. McCumber, Clerk.

tv_txt: I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1234 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 12, 2025 Mrs. Bice (for herself, Mr. Morelle , Mr. Carey , and Mrs. Torres of California ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration A BILL 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.

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.