§1504 — Title 44 Public Printing and Documents | U.S. Code

Summary

The Government Publishing Office must publish right away a daily serial called the Federal Register that contains the documents the law requires or allows. The head of that office must keep the facilities and staff needed to print it on schedule. Each daily issue includes all documents filed with the Office through the day before the publication day set by the rules. Every document must show the day and hour it became available for public inspection when filed. Distribution happens in the morning at the time fixed by the rules. The price for the Federal Register is set by the Administrative Committee of the Federal Register and is not bound by the usual government-sale limits. The Government Publishing Office must print at least two physical copies of each issue, and keep at least two copies stored in separate facilities to preserve the record for continuity of government.

Title 44, §1504

Public Printing and Documents — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Documents required or authorized to be published by section 1505 shall be published immediately by the Government Publishing Office in a serial publication designated the “Federal Register”. The Director of the Government Publishing Office shall make available the facilities of the Government Publishing Office for the prompt publication of the Federal Register in the manner and at the times required by this chapter and the regulations prescribed under it. The contents of the daily issues shall constitute all documents, required or authorized to be published, filed with the Office of the Federal Register up to the time of the day immediately preceding the day of publication fixed by regulations under this chapter. There shall be published with each document a copy of the notation, required to be made by section 1503, of the day and hour when, upon filing with the Office, the document was made available for public inspection. Distribution shall be made at a time in the morning of the day of distribution fixed by regulations prescribed under this chapter. The prices to be charged for the Federal Register may be fixed by the Administrative Committee of the Federal Register established by section 1506 without reference to the restrictions placed upon and fixed for the sale of Government publications by section 1705 and 1708. The Government Publishing Office shall print at least two physical copies of each published Federal Register issue. Of those, not less than two copies shall be stored, each in a separate facility, to ensure the preservation of the Federal Register for the purposes of continuity of government.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on 44 U.S. Code, 1964, ed., § 303 (July 26, 1935, ch. 417, § 3, 49 Stat. 500).

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2025—Pub. L. 118–267 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section required that the Government Publishing Office immediately print and distribute documents required or authorized to be published by section 1505 in a serial publication designated the “Federal Register”. 2014—Pub. L. 113–235, § 1301(c)(1), substituted “Director of the Government Publishing Office” for “Public Printer”.

§1504 “Federal Register”; publishing; contents; distribution; price; physical copies