Update on GPO's FY 2013 Appropriations Request

This is to update you on the status of GPO’s appropriations request for FY 2013.

GPO submitted a flat funding request for the year, in recognition of the fiscal constraints confronting Federal spending, an action that we were praised for by the House and Senate appropriations committees.  We requested $83.6 million for Congressional Printing and Binding; $34.7 million for the Salaries and Expenses of the Superintendent of Documents, primarily to fund the Federal Depository Library Program, and $7.8 million for GPO’s revolving fund to cover the cost of certain IT and facilities  improvements, including the continued development of GPO’s Federal Digital System.  As the American Library Association has said, “The GPO is the only agency with the mission of ensuring that the American public has access to Congressional, Judicial and Executive branch information in all formats – physical and digital.”

This is to let you know that the House of Representatives is bringing the Legislative Branch Appropriations bill for FY 2013 to the floor soon. The bill will fully fund our requests for Congressional Printing and Binding and the Salaries and Expenses of the Superintendent of Documents,  meaning funding for the FDLP which includes the 2012 edition of the U.S. Code.  While reducing our request for the GPO revolving fund, the bill contains funds that will help support important FDsys initiatives including a search engine refresh and digitization of the permanent edition of the Congressional Record.  Beyond this expected funding, progress on the continued development of FDsys will continue uninterrupted in FY 2013 with the continued commitment of GPO’s investment funds.

At this point we don’t have word on a schedule for the Senate’s consideration of our request, but we will keep you posted.

Mary Alice Baish

Superintendent of Documents
U.S. Government Printing Office
732 North Capitol Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20401-0001
ph: 202-512-1313
fx: 202-512-1314
[email protected]