44 U.S.C. § 741: Disposition of documents…

Summary

When each new Congress meets in regular session, the Senate officers (Secretary and Sergeant at Arms) and the House officers (Clerk and Doorkeeper) must make a list of public documents kept in and around the Capitol that belong to the Library of Congress and the Senate and House libraries and document rooms. They do not include copies set aside for Members' personal allotments. The officials who handle distribution must credit each Senator and Representative with the same number of volumes and as nearly equal value as possible, give each Member a list of what was credited to them, and deliver any copies a committee needs to the committee chair before dividing the rest. Four leather-bound copies are kept aside to replace worn or lost copies in the Senate and House libraries.

Title 44, §741

Public Printing and Documents, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The Secretary and Sergeant at Arms of the Senate and the Clerk and Doorkeeper of the House of Representatives, at the convening in regular session of each successive Congress shall cause an invoice to be made of public documents stored in and about the Capitol, other than those belonging to the quota of Members of Congress, to the Library of Congress and the Senate and House libraries and document rooms. The superintendents of the Senate Service Department and House of Representatives Publications Distribution Service shall put the documents to the credit of Senators and Representatives in quantities equal in the number of volumes and as nearly as possible in value, to each Member of Congress, and the documents shall be distributed upon the orders of Senators and Representatives, each of whom shall be supplied by the superintendents of the Senate Service Department and House of Representatives Publications Distribution Service with a list of the number and character of the publications thus put to his credit, but before apportionment is made copies of any of these documents desired for the use of a committee of either House shall be delivered to the chairman of the committee. Four copies of leather-bound documents shall be reserved and carefully stored, to be used in supplying deficiencies in the Senate and House libraries caused by wear or loss.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on 44 U.S. Code, 1964 ed., § 167 (Jan. 12, 1895, ch. 23, § 63, 28 Stat. 611;

July 2, 1954, ch. 455, title I, § 101, 68 Stat. 397). “Senate Service Department and House Folding Room” was substituted for “Senate and House folding rooms,” and “superintendents of the Senate Service Department and House Folding Room” was substituted for “superintendents of the folding rooms” in view of act

July 2, 1954, which redesignated the Senate Folding Room as the Senate Service Department. Act

July 2, 1954, provided in part that “hereafter” the Senate Folding Room should be known as the Senate Service Department. “House of Representatives Publications Distribution Service” is substituted for “House Folding Room” because of the

Change of Name

under authority of Public Law 88–652.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Abolition of Office of Doorkeeper Office of Doorkeeper of House of Representatives abolished and functions transferred generally to Sergeant-at-Arms of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 6, One Hundred Fourth Congress, Jan. 4, 1995.

§741 Disposition of Documents Stored at Capitol