F e d e r a l    D e p o s i t o r y    L i b r a r y    P r o g r a m

  


                                 ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES

                 Newsletter of the Federal Depository Library Program


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                                    June 15, 2002
                                  GP 3.16/3-2:23/08
                                  (Vol. 23, no. 08)

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                  GPO STATEMENT REGARDING OMB MEMO ON PRINTING AND DUPLICATING

Federal law (section 501 of Title 44 of the United States Code) generally requires
executive branch agencies to use GPO for their printing needs. OMB Memorandum
M-02-07, "Procurement of Printing and Duplicating Through the Government Printing
Office" (May 3, 2002), is an attempt to transfer printing authority to executive
branch agencies themselves.

To accomplish the change, the OMB memorandum asks that the Federal Acquisition
Regulation (FAR)-the rules under which executive branch agencies obtain goods and
services-be revised. Presumably, a revision to the FAR will be preceded by a period
of public notice and comment, so the policy announced in the OMB memorandum will not
take effect immediately. Beyond that, it is not clear how Federal agencies would
behave if the FAR revision is implemented and the law governing Federal printing
remains unchanged.

The OMB memorandum echoes earlier unsuccessful efforts in 1987 and 1994 to transfer
printing authority to executive branch agencies. Congress did not support the change
either time because of the strong potential in a decentralized system of printing
for:

   * significant cost increases in Federal printing;
   * lost contracting opportunities by the small businesses that dominate the U.S.
     printing industry; and
   * reduced public access to Government information through Federal depository
     libraries.

These same concerns apply to OMB's latest policy.

When agencies use GPO, they benefit from a package of support services that keeps
their printing costs at the lowest possible level. These services are provided by
GPO's competitive printing procurement program working in long-standing partnership
with 10,000 - 12,000 private sector printing firms nationwide. Long hailed as one of
the Federal Government's most successful purchasing efforts, the program has been
characterized by the independent firm of Booz-Allen & Hamilton, Inc., as "an example
of government at its best."

After agency publications are printed, GPO works in another long-standing partnership
with the American library community to ensure that they are cataloged and indexed and
made widely available for the free use of the American public through 1,300 Federal
depository libraries around the Nation. The Federal Depository Library Program traces
its roots to 1813, and has been called "America's first freedom of information act."

Public Printer Michael F. DiMario has notified all GPO employees that "unless and
until this FAR change is in place and the resulting conflict with [current law
governing Federal printing] is resolved, all existing and pending work on behalf of
executive branch agency customers will be carried out as usual, in accordance with
existing law, regulation, policy, and procedures. All existing arrangements for the
distribution of documents to Federal depository libraries and through other statutory
distribution programs operated by GPO will also be continued."

DiMario also said: "I encourage all GPO organizations supporting our printing and
printing procurement efforts for executive branch agencies to continue providing our
customers with the best possible service at the most economical price. We have
longstanding, productive partnerships with our customer agencies, the printing
industry, and the library community, and our responsibilities under those
partnerships will be upheld. Our customer agencies and the public depend on us for
the work we do, and we won't let them down."