§183 Written History of the House of Representatives

Summary

The Librarian of Congress must create, print, and help pay for a new complete written history of the House of Representatives, if money is available and the law’s rules are followed. The Librarian will work with the Committee on House Administration and get help from top historians and current and former House members. The book should be an illustrated, chronological story meant for the general reader and for Members of Congress and their staff. It must include the First and Second Continental Congresses and the Constitutional Convention and how they helped create the House. The Librarian will arrange printing, which can be done by the Government Publishing Office, by a joint deal with private funders and a private publisher, or both. Any printing plan must allow parts of the history to be shared on government websites. Copies will be sold to the public, and each House Member gets 5 free copies while the Senate gets 250 free copies. The Librarian may seek and accept private money to pay for preparing, publishing, marketing, and distributing the history.