Title 44Public Printing and DocumentsRelease 119-73

§1719 International exchange of Government publications

Title 44 › Chapter CHAPTER 17— - DISTRIBUTION AND SALE OF PUBLIC DOCUMENTS › § 1719

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

To carry out the Brussels convention of March 15, 1886 (proclaimed January 15, 1889), up to 125 copies of government publications must be given to the Superintendent of Documents for distribution to foreign governments that agree, as noted by the Library of Congress, to send similar publications to the Library of Congress. This includes daily and bound copies of the Congressional Record. Confidential items, blank forms, private circulars, publications marked for official or strictly administrative use with no public or educational value, and materials classified for national security are excluded. Printing, binding, and shipping costs must be paid from the appropriations made to the Superintendent of Documents for that purpose.

Full Legal Text

Title 44, §1719

Public Printing and Documents — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

For the purpose of more fully carrying into effect the convention concluded at Brussels on March 15, 1886, and proclaimed by the President of the United States on January 15, 1889, there shall be supplied to the Superintendent of Documents not to exceed one hundred and twenty-five copies each of all Government publications, including the daily and bound copies of the Congressional Record, for distribution to those foreign governments which agree, as indicated by the Library of Congress, to send to the United States similar publications of their governments for delivery to the Library of Congress. Confidential matter, blank forms, circular letters not of a public character, publications determined by their issuing department, office, or establishment to be required for official use only or for strictly administrative or operational purposes which have no public interest or educational value, and publications classified for reasons of national security shall be exempted from this requirement. The printing, binding, and distribution costs of any publications distributed in accordance with this section shall be charged to appropriations provided the Superintendent of Documents for that purpose.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on 44 U.S. Code, 1964, ed., § 139a (Mar. 2, 1901, No. 16, § 3, 31 Stat. 1465; Mar. 3, 1925, ch. 421, § 7, 43 Stat. 1106; June 20, 1936, ch. 630, title IV, § 6, 49 Stat. 1550).

Editorial Notes

References in Text

There were two conventions concluded at Brussels on Mar. 15, 1886, and proclaimed by the President on Jan. 15, 1889: one was a convention “for the international exchange of official documents, scientific, and literary publications”; the other was “for the immediate exchange of the official journals, parliamentary annals, and documents.” Codification Pub. L. 99–591 is a corrected version of Pub. L. 99–500. The 1986 amendment is based on section 306 of title III of H.R. 5203 (see House Report 99–805 as filed in the House on Aug. 15, 1986), and incorporated by reference in section 101(j) of Pub. L. 99–500 and 99–591, as amended by Pub. L. 100–71, to be effective as if enacted into law. The 1982 amendment by Pub. L. 97–276 is based on section 305(b) of S. 2939, Ninety-seventh Congress, 2d Session, as reported Sept. 22, 1982, and incorporated by reference in section 101(e) of Pub. L. 97–276, to be effective as if enacted into law.

Amendments

1986—Pub. L. 99–500 and 99–591, as amended by Pub. L. 100–71, amended last sentence generally, substituting “charged to appropriations provided the Superintendent of Documents for that purpose” for “charge­able to the department, office, or establishment issuing the publication”. See Codification note above. 1982—Pub. L. 97–276 substituted “Superintendent of Documents” for first reference to “Library of Congress” and “for distribution to those foreign governments which agree, as indicated by the Library of Congress, to send to the United States similar publications of their governments for delivery to the Library of Congress” for “for distribution, through the Smithsonian Institution, to foreign governments which agree to send to the United States similar publications of their governments for delivery to the Library of Congress”, and inserted “Confidential matter, blank forms, circular letters not of a public character, publications determined by their issuing department, office, or establishment to be required for official use only or for strictly administrative or operational purposes which have no public interest or educational value, and publications classified for reasons of national security shall be exempted from this requirement. The printing, binding, and distribution costs of any publication distributed in accordance with this section shall be chargeable to the department, office, or establishment issuing the publication.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

44 U.S.C. § 1719

Title 44Public Printing and Documents

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73