[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 109 (Wednesday, June 6, 2001)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 30340-30341]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-14217]


 ========================================================================
 Proposed Rules
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of 
 the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these 
 notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in 
 the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.
 
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 

  Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 109 / Wednesday, June 6, 2001 / 
Proposed Rules  

[[Page 30340]]



ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE OF THE FEDERAL REGISTER

1 CFR Part 11

RIN 3095-ZA03


Prices and Availability of Federal Register Publications

AGENCY: Administrative Committee of the Federal Register.

ACTION: Proposed rule.

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SUMMARY: The Administrative Committee of the Federal Register proposes 
increases in the prices charged for the paper and microfiche editions 
of Federal Register publications. The price changes would apply to the 
daily Federal Register, the Federal Register Index and LSA (List of CFR 
Sections Affected), the Code of Federal Regulations, and the Weekly 
Compilation of Presidential Documents. The proposed price increases 
would enable the Government Printing Office to recover more of the 
costs of producing and distributing Federal Register publications.

DATES: Comments will be accepted through July 6, 2001.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Michael White. Written 
comments may be submitted by U.S. mail to the Office of the Federal 
Register (NF), National Archives and Records Administration, 700 
Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20408-0001, or by private 
delivery services to the Office of the Federal Register, 800 North 
Capitol Street, NW., Suite 700, Washington, DC 20002. Comments may also 
be submitted by email to [email protected], or by fax to 202-523-
6866.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael White at 202-275-4292, ext. 
275.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Under the Federal Register Act (44 U.S.C. Chapter 15), the 
Administrative Committee of the Federal Register is responsible for 
establishing the prices charged for Federal Register publications. 
Federal Register publications are sold and distributed to the public by 
the Government Printing Office's (GPO) Superintendent of Documents. The 
Administrative Committee periodically reviews data submitted by the 
Superintendent of Documents to determine whether subscription rates and 
single copy prices of Federal Register publications produce sufficient 
revenue to keep pace with GPO's printing, handling and distribution 
costs, as well as postal rate increases. GPO receives no appropriation 
for any of the costs associated with producing Federal Register 
publications. Sales revenue must support the cost of the sales program. 
The proposed price increases would enable the Government Printing 
Office to recover more of the costs of producing and distributing 
Federal Register publications.
    The data submitted by the Superintendent of Documents indicates 
that sales revenue is insufficient to cover the program costs of 
certain Federal Register publications. The shortfall in sales revenue 
is attributable to declining paper subscriptions, increases in GPO 
employee pay scales and benefits, higher paper prices, and a 12.7 
percent increase in postal rates in 2001. This proposed rule takes into 
account the actual production, handling and distribution costs for 
paper publications over the past year and projected costs for the 
remainder of 2001.
    The Administrative Committee published its last price change 
regulation on February 23, 2000 (65 FR 8843). In this action, the 
Administrative Committee proposes to increase the subscription rates 
for the paper editions of the daily Federal Register, the Federal 
Register Index and LSA (List of CFR Sections Affected), the Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR), and the Weekly Compilation of Presidential 
Documents. The single copy price of the daily Federal Register would 
also increase. The single copy price of the Weekly Compilation of 
Presidential Documents would remain the same.
    Prices for the microfiche editions of the Federal Register and the 
CFR result from a competitive bidding process. The subscription rates 
would increase for the microfiche editions of the daily Federal 
Register and CFR. The single copy price for the microfiche editions of 
those publications would not change.
    GPO has taken aggressive measures to achieve savings in its sales 
programs, such as reducing full time equivalent employee costs by 29 
percent since 1994. However, in addition to the costs already cited, a 
number of other factors have combined to make it necessary to raise the 
price of paper publications. Part of the increase can be attributed to 
the rise in the volume of pages printed per subscription. The number of 
pages printed for each subscription to the Federal Register has 
increased by more than 10 percent since 1997 (66,934 pages in 1997 as 
compared with 77,234 pages in 2000). A sharp decline in the number of 
paid subscriptions has also contributed to the need for price 
increases. Since 1994, when the Administrative Committee began 
providing online access to the Federal Register, subscriptions have 
fallen by 73 percent. The decline in paper subscription revenue far 
exceeds the savings realized from reduced production costs. As a 
result, handling costs must be allocated over a much smaller base of 
orders, forcing increases in the prices of paper publications.
    Subscribers who prefer the convenience of paper publications 
delivered to their place of business would bear a greater cost burden 
as a result of these price increases. But our customers also have free 
online access to Federal Register publications on the GPO Access 
service (http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara). The online customer base has 
expanded rapidly since free online service was introduced in late 1995. 
Information retrievals from the online edition of the Federal Register 
grew from just under 15 million documents in calendar year 1996 to over 
61 million documents downloaded in calendar year 2000. Over the same 
period, information retrievals from the online edition of the CFR grew 
from about 725,000 documents to more than 93 million documents 
downloaded. Online Federal Register publications on GPO Access are now 
among the most frequently visited Federal web sites.
    The success of the online publications demonstrates that the 
Administrative Committee is fulfilling its mission to provide the 
public with essential information on the functions, actions,

[[Page 30341]]

and regulatory requirements of the Federal government. At the same 
time, the Administrative Committee is constantly engaged in efforts to 
improve the quality of our online publications, including investments 
in new technology applications that will enhance e-government services 
to the public. In addition, GPO recently took new steps to 
significantly increase server capacity to meet the growing demand for 
online access to Federal Register publications. For members of the 
public who prefer to read the printed editions, GPO continues to 
provide free access to Federal Register publications at Federal 
depository libraries located throughout the nation under funding 
provided by Congress.
    The changes to subscription prices in this proposal amount to a 9.6 
percent increase for the paper edition of the Federal Register and a 
9.2 percent increase for the printed CFR. The subscription price of the 
Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents would increase by 12 
percent. The price changes are reflected in proposed amendments to 1 
CFR part 11. The following rates would be effective after the issuance 
of the final rule. The annual subscription rate for the daily Federal 
Register paper edition would increase from $638 to $699. For a combined 
Federal Register, Federal Register Index and LSA (List of CFR Sections 
Affected) subscription, the rate would increase from $697 to $764. The 
price of a single copy of the daily Federal Register paper edition 
would increase from $9 to $10. The annual subscription rate for the 
microfiche edition of the Federal Register, which includes the Federal 
Register Index and LSA, would increase from $253 to $264. The annual 
subscription price for the Federal Register Index increases from $28 to 
$30. The annual subscription price for the monthly LSA would increase 
from $31 to $35. The annual subscription rate for a full set of the CFR 
paper edition would increase from $1094 to $1195. The annual 
subscription rate for the microfiche edition of the CFR would increase 
from $290 to $298. The annual subscription rates for the Weekly 
Compilation of Presidential Documents would increase from $92 to $103 
for delivery by non-priority mail and from $151 to $169 for delivery by 
first-class mail.

Regulatory Analysis

Executive Order 12866

    The proposed rule has been drafted in accordance with Executive 
Order 12866, section 1(b), ``Principles of Regulation.'' The 
Administrative Committee has determined that this proposed rulemaking 
is not a significant regulatory action, as defined under section 3(f) 
of Executive Order 12866.

Regulatory Flexibility Act

    The Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601 et seq., does not 
apply to rate increases necessary to recover the costs to the 
Government for printing and distributing Federal Register publications. 
This action would not have a significant impact on small entities since 
it would not impose any substantive requirements, and any increased 
costs could be avoided by accessing Federal Register publications 
through the free GPO Access service on the Internet or at a Federal 
depository library.

Federalism

    This proposed rule has no Federalism implications under Executive 
Order 13132. It would not impose compliance costs on State or local 
governments or preempt State law.

List of Subjects in 1 CFR Part 11

    Code of Federal Regulations, Federal Register, Government 
publications, Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents.

    For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Administrative 
Committee of the Federal Register proposes to amend part 11 of chapter 
I of title 1 of the Code of Federal Regulations as set forth below:

PART 11--SUBSCRIPTIONS

    1. The authority citation for part 11 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 44 U.S.C. 1506; sec. 6, E.O. 10530, 19 FR 2709, 3 
CFR, 1954-1958 Comp., p. 189.

    2. In Sec. 11.2, revise paragraph (a) to read as follows:


Sec. 11.2  Federal Register.

    (a) The subscription price for the paper edition of the daily 
Federal Register, including postage, is $699 per year. A combined 
subscription to the daily Federal Register, the monthly Federal 
Register Index, and the monthly LSA (List of CFR Sections Affected), 
including postage, is $764 per year for the paper edition, or $264 per 
year for the microfiche edition. Six-month subscriptions to the paper 
and microfiche editions are also available at one-half the annual rate. 
Limited quantities of current or recent issues may be purchased for $10 
per copy for the paper edition, or $2 per copy for the microfiche 
edition.
* * * * *
    3. In Sec. 11.3, revise paragraph (a) to read as follows:


Sec. 11.3  Code of Federal Regulations.

    (a) The subscription price for a complete set of the Code of 
Federal Regulations, including postage, is $1195 per year for the 
bound, paper edition, or $298 per year for the microfiche edition. The 
Government Printing Office sells individual volumes of the paper 
edition of the Code of Federal Regulations at prices determined by the 
Superintendent of Documents under the general direction of the 
Administrative Committee. The price of a single volume of the 
microfiche edition is $2 per copy.
* * * * *
    4. In Sec. 11.6, revise paragraph (a) to read as follows:


Sec. 11.6  Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents.

    (a) The subscription price for the paper edition of the Weekly 
Compilation of Presidential Documents is $103 per year for delivery by 
non-priority mail, or $169 per year for delivery by first-class mail. 
The price of an individual copy is $4.
* * * * *
    5. Revise Sec. 11.7 to read as follows:


Sec. 11.7  Federal Register Index.

    The annual subscription price for the monthly Federal Register 
Index, purchased separately, in paper form, is $30.
    6. Revise Sec. 11.8 to read as follows:


Sec. 11.8  LSA (List of CFR Sections Affected).

    The annual subscription price for the monthly LSA (List of CFR 
Sections Affected), purchased separately, in paper form, is $35.

    By Order of the Committee.
Raymond A. Mosley,
Secretary, Administrative Committee of the Federal Register.
[FR Doc. 01-14217 Filed 6-5-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 1505-02-P