Title 44Public Printing and DocumentsRelease 119-73

§721 Congressional Directory

Title 44 › Chapter CHAPTER 7— - CONGRESSIONAL PRINTING AND BINDING › § 721

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Joint Committee on Printing must publish a Congressional Directory as soon as possible in the first session of each Congress and a supplement in the second regular session. The Committee decides how many copies are made and how they are given out. Each Member’s copy, including Delegates and the Resident Commissioner, must be cloth-bound and named. Most other copies must be paper, though library and sale copies may be cloth.

Full Legal Text

Title 44, §721

Public Printing and Documents — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)There shall be prepared under the direction of the Joint Committee on Printing (1) a Congressional Directory, which shall be printed and distributed as early as practicable during the first session of each Congress and (2) a supplement to each Congressional Directory, which shall be printed and distributed as early as practicable during the second regular session of each Congress. The Joint Committee shall control the number and distribution of the Congressional Directory and each supplement.
(b)One copy of the Congressional Directory delivered to Members of the Senate and the House of Representatives (including Delegates and the Resident Commissioner) shall be bound in cloth and imprinted on the cover with the name of the Member. Copies of the Congressional Directory delivered to depository libraries may be bound in cloth. All other copies of the Congressional Directory shall be bound in paper and names shall not be imprinted thereon, except that copies printed for sale under section 722 may be bound in cloth.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on 44 U.S. Code, 1964 ed., § 149 (Jan. 12, 1895, ch. 23, § 73, 28 Stat. 617; July 1, 1902, ch. 1351, 32 Stat. 583).

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1977—Pub. L. 95–94 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), substituted provisions relating to distribution of initial and supplementary Directories for provisions requiring preparation of three editions of the Directory during the first session of each Congress and two editions during each second regular session of Congress, struck out provisions relating to distribution of the first edition and provisions relating to cloth binding for copies delivered to Senators and Representatives, and added subsec. (b).

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

44 U.S.C. § 721

Title 44Public Printing and Documents

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73