§183 Written history of the House of Representatives

Summary

The Librarian of Congress must prepare, print, and arrange funding for a new, full written history of the House of Representatives if money is available and other rules are met. The Librarian must work with the Committee on House Administration and get help from leading historians and current and former House Members. The book must be an illustrated, chronological story for general readers and for Members and staff. It must also cover the First and Second Continental Congresses and the Constitutional Convention, especially how they helped create the House. The Librarian must arrange printing either through the Government Publishing Office, by partnering with private funders and a private publisher, or both. Any plan must allow excerpts to appear on U.S. government websites. If the Government Publishing Office prints copies for Congress, the cost goes to its congressional printing budget. The book must be sold to the public, and the Librarian must give 5 free copies to each House Member and 250 free copies to the Senate. The Librarian may take private donations to pay for preparing, publishing, marketing, and distributing the book.