H.R. 1234: To direct the Librarian of Congress to promote the more cost-effective, efficient, and expanded availability of the Annotated Constitution and pocket-part supplements by replacing the hardbound versions with digital versions.

The bill aims to modernize the way the Annotated Constitution is made available to the public by replacing hardbound versions with digital formats. Here’s a more detailed breakdown of its key points:

1. Elimination of Hardbound Editions

The bill proposes to repeal existing requirements for the Congressional Research Service to prepare hardbound editions of the Annotated Constitution and its supplements. Instead, it directs the Librarian of Congress to:

• Create a digital edition of the Annotated Constitution every ten years, starting after the October 2031 Supreme Court term. This digital version will include annotations of all Supreme Court decisions that interpret the Constitution.
• Prepare a digital cumulative supplement to the most recent Annotated Constitution edition after each Supreme Court term that does not end in a '1', starting after the October 2025 term. This supplement will include annotations from decisions made since the last edition that are not already covered.

2. Ensuring Digital Availability

The bill mandates that:

• New digital editions and supplements will be available on a public website maintained by the Library of Congress.
• The Librarian of Congress is responsible for ensuring that these digital editions remain accessible to both Congress and the public over time.

3. Repeal of Additional Printing Requirements

The legislation also addresses printing requirements. It specifies that:

• After the October 2025 term of the Supreme Court, hardbound editions will no longer be printed, and future editions will be solely in digital format accessible online.
• The provision mandating additional printed copies via concurrent resolutions is also repealed.

4. Summary of Intent

Overall, the intent of the bill is to promote a more cost-effective, efficient, and widely available means of accessing the Annotated Constitution and its updates through digital resources, replacing the traditional hardbound versions.

Relevant Companies

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