HR 1234

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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.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 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.

Attest:

Clerk. 119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 1234

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.