ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES
Newsletter of the Federal Depository Library Program
 
 
 
Vol. 18, no. 04 GP 3.16/3-2:18/04       February 28, 1997
 
 
 
 
MICHAEL F. DIMARIO
PUBLIC PRINTER
 
PREPARED STATEMENT BEFORE THE 
SUBCOMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE APPROPRIATIONS
COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ON
APPROPRIATIONS ESTIMATES FOR FISCAL YEAR 1998
 
February 11, 1997
 


        NEW COMMITTEE RULE REQUIRING ONLINE DISSEMINATION
 
        At the opening of the 105th Congress, the House adopted a new rule
stating that "each committee shall, to the maximum extent feasible, make
its publications available in electronic form."  We fully support the
objective of this rule to facilitate improved public access to critical
congressional information.  GPO Access was established by law to serve
this purpose and we will work closely with the House to ensure that the
rule is carried out to the greatest extent possible.
 
Dissemination of Hearings
 
        As noted earlier, a great deal of hearings data are captured in
camera copy format (Part I of the hearings published by this Subcommittee,
for example, was prepared virtually entirely from camera copy format).
Without being captured digitally, it will not be possible to disseminate
this information electronically in a searchable format.  GPO will work
with committees to increase the amount of data captured electronically.
The volume of hearings--between 400,000 and 500,000 pages annually--means
that this information has to be organized logically to facilitate
user-friendly and meaningful access by the public.  Because of the volume
of hearings information, standardization will be a key necessity--the
public will need access to a standardized format and search and retrieval
methodology for all committee hearings, instead of having to use one
system for Appropriations hearings, another for Judiciary hearings, and
yet another for Armed Services hearings.  Our electronic production
systems and GPO Access can provide that standardization.
 
        We are beginning a pilot program with selected House and Senate
committees to put committee hearings online via GPO Access.  These will be
complete databases of hearings, including all graphics, that will be
searchable and will replicate the official printed product.  If Congress
chooses, we have the capability to make the text of committee hearings and
other products available online before going to press.
 
Dissemination of Other Committee Materials
 
        GPO will closely work with individual committees, their chairmen
and staffs, as to the implementation of the new House rule concerning the
electronic dissemination of other committee data, including prints of
legislation under consideration or so-called "chairman's marks" of bills.
GPO has traditionally printed these products under strict requirements
from the submitting committees to restrict dissemination and return the
completed product directly to the committee itself.  We have always
complied with such instructions and will continue to do so.  However, we
are prepared to assist committees in posting this kind of information
electronically if they request us to do so.