Title 2The CongressRelease 119-73

§28c Distribution of Precedents by Director of the Government Publishing Office

Title 2 › Chapter CHAPTER 2— - ORGANIZATION OF CONGRESS › § 28c

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Director of the Government Publishing Office must give one set of the Precedents to every Senator, Representative, Delegate, and Resident Commissioner who served in the Ninety-fifth Congress. Each volume in a set must have the member’s name stamped on the front cover. Any Senator, Representative, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner in later Congresses who has not already received a set can get one by sending a written request to the Superintendent of Documents. The Director must also send extra sets to certain offices and libraries. Five sets go to each of the Vice President’s office, the Speaker’s office, and the President pro tempore’s office. Three sets go to each House majority and minority leader. Sixty sets go to the House Parliamentarian and five to the Senate Parliamentarian. Two sets go to each of these: the Clerk of the House, the Sergeant at Arms of the House, the Secretary of the Senate, the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate, and the superintendents of the House and Senate document rooms. One hundred and fifty sets go to the Library of Congress for international exchange and official use in Washington, District of Columbia. Three sets go to the National Archives, twelve to the government of the District of Columbia, two to the Smithsonian Institute, one to the legislative-branch library in each State, territory, and possession, and 816 sets to the Superintendent of Documents for the depository library system.

Full Legal Text

Title 2, §28c

The Congress — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Director of the Government Publishing Office shall deliver one set of the Precedents to each Senator or Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Ninety-fifth Congress. The name of the Member to whom the set is delivered shall be legibly stamped on the front cover of each volume of the set.
(b)Each Senator or Representative in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, each Congress following the Ninety-fifth Congress who has not theretofore received a set of the Precedents shall be entitled to receive one set of the Precedents, upon transmitting a written request for such set to the Superintendent of Documents.
(c)The Director of the Government Publishing Office shall make the following distribution of sets of the Precedents:
(1)to the office of the Vice President, to the office of the speaker of the House of Representatives, and to the office of the President pro tempore of the Senate, each, five sets;
(2)to the office of the majority leader of the House of Representatives and to the office of the minority leader of the House of Representatives, each, three sets;
(3)to the Parliamentarian of the House of Representatives, sixty sets;
(4)to the Parliamentarian of the Senate, five sets;
(5)to the Clerk of the House of Representatives and to the Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives, each 11 So in original. Probably should be followed by a comma. two sets;
(6)to the Secretary of the Senate and to the Sergeant at Arms of the Senate, each, two sets;
(7)to the superintendent of the House document room, two sets;
(8)to the superintendent of the Senate document room, two sets;
(9)to the Library of Congress, for international exchange and for official use in Washington, District of Columbia, one hundred and fifty sets;
(10)to the National Archives, three sets;
(11)to the government of the District of Columbia, twelve sets;
(12)to the Smithsonian Institute, two sets;
(13)to the library of each legislative branch of each State, territory, and possession of the United States, one set; and
(14)to the Superintendent of Documents, eight hundred and sixteen sets for distribution to the depository library system.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1996—Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 104–186, § 202(3)(A), substituted “Representatives, each” for “Representives, each”. Subsec. (c)(5). Pub. L. 104–186, § 202(3)(B), substituted “and to the Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives, each two sets” for “, to the Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives, and to the Doorkeeper of the House of Representatives, each, two sets”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

“Director of the Government Publishing Office” substituted for “Public Printer” in subsecs. (a) and (c) on authority of section 1301(d) of Pub. L. 113–235, set out as a note under section 301 of Title 44, Public Printing and Documents. Substitution was also made in section catchline that had been supplied editorially.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

2 U.S.C. § 28c

Title 2The Congress

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73