    [United States Statutes at Large, Volume 133, 116th Congress, 1st Session]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    Public Law 116-78
    116th Congress

    An Act

    To amend section 442 of title 18, United States Code, to exempt certain
    interests in mutual funds, unit investment trusts, employee benefit
    plans, and retirement plans from conflict of interest limitations for
    the Government Publishing Office. <>

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
    United States of America in Congress assembled,
    SECTION 1. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE.

    (a) In General.--Section 442 of title 18, United States Code, is
    amended to read as follows:
    ``Sec. 442. Government Publishing Office

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section--
    ``(1) the terms `diversified', `employee benefit plan',
    `holdings', `mutual fund', and `unit investment trust' have the
    meanings given those terms under section 2640.102 of title 5,
    Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor thereto; and
    ``(2) the term `printing-related interest' means an
    interest, direct or indirect, in--
    ``(A) the publication of any newspaper or
    periodical;
    ``(B) any printing, binding, engraving, or
    lithographing of any kind; or
    ``(C) any contract for furnishing paper or other
    material connected with the public printing, binding,
    lithographing, or engraving.

    ``(b) Offense.--
    ``(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), the
    Director of the Government Publishing Office, Deputy Director of
    the Government Publishing Office, nor any of their assistants as
    determined by the Director of the Government Publishing Office
    shall not, during his or her continuance in office, have any
    printing-related interest.
    ``(2) Exception for mutual funds, unit investment trusts,
    employee benefit plans, and retirement plans.--It shall not be a
    violation of paragraph (1) for an individual who is described in
    such paragraph to have an interest in a diversified mutual fund,
    diversified unit investment trust, employee benefit plan,
    investment fund under the Thrift Savings Plan under subchapter
    III of chapter 84 of title 5, or pension plan established or
    maintained by a State government or any political subdivision of
    a State government for its employees that has 1 or more holdings
    that are printing-related interests if the fund, trust, or plan
    does not exhibit a practice of concentrating in printing-related
    interests.

    [[Page 1176]]

    ``(3) Authority of supervising ethics office.--The
    supervising ethics office for the Government Publishing Office
    under the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) shall
    have the authority to issue rules and promulgate regulations
    governing the implementation of this subsection.

    ``(c) Penalty.--Whoever violates subsection (b)(1) shall be fined
    under this title, imprisoned for not more than 1 year, or both.''.
    (b) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections for
    chapter 23 of title 18, United States Code, <>
    is amended by striking the item relating to section 442 and inserting
    the following:

    ``442. Government Publishing Office.''.

    Approved December 5, 2019.

    LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--H.R. 5277:
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    CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 165 (2019):
    Dec. 3, considered and passed House.
    Dec. 4, considered and passed Senate.