govinfo.gov

Earth Day 2021: Restore Our Earth

Thu, 22 Apr 2021 16:12:51 +0000

Celebrated globally April 22nd each year, events are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection

Featured Content

“The United States and the world face a profound climate crisis. We have a narrow moment to pursue action at home and abroad in order to avoid the most catastrophic impacts of that crisis and to seize the opportunity that tackling climate change presents. Domestic action must go hand in hand with United States international leadership, aimed at significantly enhancing global action. Together, we must listen to science and meet the moment."
President Joseph Biden (January 7, 2021), Executive Order 14008—Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad - DCPD-202100095 -

The first Earth Day was held in San Francisco in 1970. The initial focus was on the United States and as a protest to the negative impacts of 150 years of industrial development. Earth Day 1970 led to the establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency, and it also signaled the beginning of new environmental laws to start being a part of the legislative agenda, including passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and the Endangered Species Acts. In 1990, Earth Day became a global event coordinated by the Earth Day Network. The Earth Day Network’s mission is to diversify, educate, and activate the environmental movement worldwide. This year’s theme “Restore Our Earth,” is focused on emerging green technologies and innovative thinking that can restore the world's ecosystems.

*This links to a Statute Compilation, which is a compilation of the public law, as amended, and is an unofficial document and should not be cited as legal evidence of the law. Learn more.

Additional Resources

Earth Day Network, the official Earth Day site

EPA Summary of the Clean Air Act - 42 U.S.C. s7401 et seq. (1970)

EPA Summary of the Clean Water Act - 33 U.S.C. s1251 et seq. (1972)

Explore EPA’s Earth Day website for lesson ideas for teachers for homework resources for students , and community service project ideas.
To support the celebration of Earth Day, The U.S. Government Publishing Office offers for sale new and classic official environmental publications that present both scientific and practical information to protect and improve the nation's air, foster the protection of plant and animal species and their habitats, help protect human health, and promote a cleaner and healthier environment for the American people.

About Featured Content Articles - This series of articles aims to highlight content available in govinfo related to various national observances, commemorations, anniversaries and more. See more featured content articles.

History of National Service

Fri, 16 Apr 2021 11:48:40 +0000

In recognition of National Volunteer Week, April 18-24

Featured Content

National Volunteer Week was first established in April 1974 by Presidential Proclamation. Each year, National Volunteer Week celebrates millions of Americans dedicated to volunteerism. In appreciation of this nationally recognized observance, this article provides a select history of significant events related to national service.

"I urge all Americans to observe that week by seeking out an area in their community in which they can give to a needy individual or a worthy cause by devoting a few hours, or more, each week to volunteer service."
President Nixon, April 20, 1974, Presidential Proclamation 4288 (88 Stat. 2476)

1933

President Franklin D. Roosevelt establishes the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) by Executive Order on April 5, 1933. Read the President’s message to Congress regarding creation of the CCC as printed in the Congressional Record on March 21, 1933.

"I propose to create a civilian conservation corps to be used in simple work, not interfering with normal employment, and confining itself to forestry, the prevention of soil erosion, flood control, and similar projects. I call your attention to the fact that this type of work is of definite, practical value, not only through the prevention of great present financial loss but also as a means of creating future national wealth."
President Roosevelt, March 21, 1933, 77 Cong. Rec. Bound - Senate

1961

President John F. Kennedy establishes the Peace Corps within the Department of State by Executive Order on March 1, 1961.

Executive Order 10924 as printed in the Federal Register Volume 26, Issue 40

The Peace Corps Act is approved later this year to authorize funding.

75 Stat. 612 (Public Law 87-293), Approved September 22, 1961

Read Senator Humphrey’s remarks on introduction of the legislation and a letter from President Kennedy to Congress as printed in the Congressional Record.

107 Cong. Rec. (Bound) - Senate: June 1, 1961

1964

President Lyndon B. Johnson creates VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) as part of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 "to perform duties in furtherance of programs combating poverty at a State or local level."

78 Stat. 508 (Public Law 88-452), Approved August 20, 1964

1971

The ACTION agency is created on July 1 to "consolidate and administer the Nation's federally sponsored volunteer programs, which include the Peace Corps, VISTA, the Foster Grandparent program, and the SCORE/ACE program, a corps of volunteer small business counselors.”

Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1971, Title 5 U.S.C. Appendix

1973

The Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973, the authorizing legislation for ACTION, is enacted.

87 Stat. 394 (Public Law 93-113), Approved October 1, 1973

1974

National Volunteer Week is first established in April 1974 by Presidential Proclamation.

88 Stat. 2476, Presidential Proclamation 4288

1990

The National and Community Service Act of 1990 is signed into law to enhance national and community service, and for other purposes.

Statute Compilation of the text of Public Law 101-610 (Does not represent an official version of any Federal statute. The official version of Federal law is found in the United States Statutes at Large and in the United States Code.)

1991

President George H.W. Bush references "a Thousand Points of Light" in his January 29, 1991, State of the Union Address.

137 Cong. Rec. (Bound) - Senate: January 29, 1991

"We can find meaning and reward by serving some higher purpose than ourselves, a shining purpose, the illumination of a Thousand Points of Light…We all have something to give."
President George H. W. Bush, 1991 State of the Union Address

1992

National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) is created as part of the 1993 Defense Authorization Act as a demonstration program to explore the possibility of using post-Cold War military resources to help solve national challenges.

The NCCC is governed by 42 U.S.C. Division E

1993

In September 1993, President Bill Clinton signs the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 "to establish a Corporation for National Service, enhance opportunities for national service, and provide national service educational awards to persons participating in such service."

107 Stat. 785 (Public Law 103-82), Approved September 21, 1993

"National service, I hope and pray, will help us to strengthen the cords that bind us together as a people, will help us to remember in the quiet of every night that what each of us can become is to some extent determined by whether all of us can become what God meant us to be."
President Bill Clinton Remarks on Signing the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993, 1993 Public Papers 1543

1994

Congress passes the King Holiday and Service Act of 1994, on August 23, 1994, charging the Corporation for National Service with taking the lead in organizing Martin Luther King Day as a day of service.

108 Stat. 1565 (Public Law 103-304), Approved August 23, 1994

"[Dr. King] dedicated himself to what was in his time and what remains the most difficult challenge we face as a democratic people: closing the great gap between our words and our deeds."
President Bill Clinton Remarks on Signing the King Holiday and Service Act of 1994, 1994 Public Papers 1491

In September 1994, President Clinton swears in the first class of AmeriCorps volunteers.

"Service is a spark to rekindle the spirit of democracy in an age of uncertainty…[it] comes down to three simple questions: What is right? What is wrong? And what are we going to do about it? Today we're doing what is right."
President Bill Clinton Remarks in a Swearing-In Ceremony for AmeriCorps Volunteers, 1994 Public Papers 1535

1997

On June 18, 1997, Congress approves the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 "to provide certain protections to volunteers, nonprofit organizations, and governmental entities in lawsuits based on the activities of volunteers."

111 Stat. 218 (Public Law 105-19), Approved June 18, 1997

"Through citizen service, Americans recognize that we are responsible for one another and that we are members of a true community."
President Bill Clinton Statement on Signing the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997, 1997 Public Papers 770

2002

On February 4, 2002, President George W. Bush establishes the USA Freedom Corps by Executive Order "to foster a culture of responsibility, service, and citizenship by promoting, expanding, and enhancing public service opportunities for all Americans and by making these opportunities readily available to citizens from all geographic areas, professions, and walks of life."

38 WCPD 139 Executive Order 13254, February 4, 2002

"My call tonight is for every American to commit at least 2 years, 4,000 hours over the rest of your lifetime, to the service of your neighbors and your Nation."
President George W. Bush Address Before a Joint Session of the Congress on the State of the Union, February 4, 2002

2003

President Bush creates the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation by Executive Order on February 3, 2003, with the mission to "encourage the recognition of outstanding volunteer service and civic participation by individuals, schools, and organizations and thereby encourage more such activity, especially on the part of America’s youth; and facilitate awareness of the ways in which Americans throughout our history have helped to meet the vital needs of their communities and Nation through volunteer service and civic participation."

39 WCPD 123 Executive Order 13285, February 3, 2003

2009

On February 25, 2009, a hearing is held before the Committee on Education and Labor: Renewing America Through National Service and Volunteerism.

House Hearing, 111th Congress, Serial No. 111-4

On April 21, 2009, Congress approves the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act "to reauthorize and reform the national service laws."

123 Stat. 1460 (Public Law 111-13), Approved April 21, 2009

"We need your service right now...I’m asking you to help change history’s course...And if I—if you do, I promise you, your life will be richer, our country will be stronger, and someday, years from now, you may remember it as the moment when your own story and the American story converged, when they came together, and we met the challenges of our new century."
President Obama Remarks on Signing the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, April 21, 2009

2013

President Obama presents the 5000th Daily Point of Light Award.

"Twenty-three years ago, President George H.W. Bush began a tradition. He knew that across the country every day, Americans were finding ways to serve each other and give back to their communities, often with very few resources and very little recognition...he knew that their spirit of service was vital to our national character. So he created an award, the Daily Point of Light Award, to recognize Americans who serve their neighbors and communities in innovative ways that inspire us all."
President Obama Remarks at a Ceremony Presenting the 5000th Daily Point of Light Award, July 15, 20013

2014

President Obama and former President Clinton celebrate the 20th anniversary of AmeriCorps.

"Like all those who serve their country through AmeriCorps, they don't just believe in, but live out a fundamental truth, and that is that people who love their country can change it. That is the genius of America. That is the promise of AmeriCorps."
President Obama Remarks on the 20th Anniversary of AmeriCorps, September 12, 2014

Related Resources

Visit Americorps.gov, the federal agency for community service and volunteerism.
Visit PeaceCorps.gov to learn more and apply.
See related documents in recognition of the anniversary of the establishment of the Peace Corps.

Autism Acceptance Month

Thu, 08 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

April is Autism Acceptance Month

Featured Content

The month of April is Autism Acceptance Month and includes observances to highlight the increasing number of individuals identified with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the impacts on families and support services. It is also an opportunity to “celebrate the unique perspectives of those living with ASD.” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes ASD as a “developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavior challenges.” Estimates from the CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network, according to 2016 data, indicate that 1 in 54 children has been identified ASD.

Related Legislation

Below are highlighted legislation related to ASD from the last several decades.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 1990 (42 U.S.C. Chap 126) and (Public Law 104-76) – Provided civil rights protections and “prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public.”
Children's Health Act, 2000 (Public Law 106-310) – Established the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities at the CDC and authorized the establishment of Centers of Excellence at both CDC and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) “to promote research and monitoring efforts related to the causes, diagnosis, early detection, prevention, and treatment of autism.”
Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 1990 (20 U.S.C. Chap 33) and (Public Law 101-476) and Reauthorization, 2004 (Public Law 108-446) – IDEA ensures that all children, regardless of disability status, are entitled to a free and “appropriate public education to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment and independent living.”
Combating Autism Act, 2006 (Public Law 109-416) – Provided funding for ASD and developmental disabilities research, screening, treatment and education; and established a Federal Advisory Committee, the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) to conduct planning, provide support, and for ASD research.
Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education and Support (Autism CARES) Act, 2014 (Public Law 113-157) – Reauthorized provisions within the Public Health Service Act relating to autism to provide research, services, and support activities, and also reauthorized the IACC, which releases annual strategic plans for autism research.
Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education, and Support Act of 2019 (Autism CARES Act of 2019), 2019 (Public Law 116-60) and (House Report 116-77) – Amended the Public Health Service Act to enhance activities of the National Institutes of Health with respect to ASD research and to also enhance programs relating to autism and other purposes.

Additional Resources

ASD Resources available from the CDC.
Autism Acceptance Month, 2021 information featured on the IACC website.
A Proclamation on World Autism Awareness Day, 2021 from the White House Briefing Room.
Information about ASD and what it is can be found at the National Institutes of Mental Health as well as the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

March 2021 Release Notes

Wed, 24 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Related Documents API Service for Congressional Bills and Bill Status; Download up to 1,000 Search Results; Additional Citation Search Patterns for Bills, Public and Private Laws

Release Notes

The govinfo team marks the first major deployment of 2021 with a wealth of new features, functionality, and an upgrade to our search engine. This release included 78 individually tracked changes since the last deployment in early December. This article highlights some of these changes including a new Related Documents API Service for two collections, the capability to download up to 1,000 search results in bulk, additional citation search patterns, as well as numerous upgrades, fixes, and enhancements to govinfo functionality.

New Content: More than 38,600 content packages (a package is roughly equivalent to one bound printed document) have been made available since the beginning of December. Notable content submissions since the last release include the 2020 edition of the United States Policy and Supporting Positions (Plum Book); 2020 edition of the Women in Congress eBook; and judicial opinions from the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, and U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida.

Feature Articles: Fourteen articles were featured since early December including announcements celebrating govinfo's achievement of being recertified as the only ISO 16363 Certified Trustworthy Digital Repository in the world, govinfo turning five years old, and reaching the milestone of 140 Federal courts that publish their opinions on govinfo. Other features showcased proceedings of the Electoral College over the years, as well as articles commemorating Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidential Inaugural Addresses, Black History Month, Presidents’ Day, and Women’s History Month.

Related Documents API Service for Congressional Bills and Bill Status collection:  The development roadmap regularly incorporates updates to the govinfo API. The API is intended to provide data users with a simple means to programmatically access govinfo content and metadata, which is stored in self-describing packages. We are pleased to launch the initial version of the new Related Documents service within the govinfo API. This new service provides the capability for API users to identify documents within the complex web of relationships among Federal publications published in govinfo. This is similar to functionality that we make available on govinfo Details pages.

The first relationships available through the new API functionality are for the Congressional Bills and Bill Status collections. From a BILLS or BILLSTATUS package summary, a user can query the API to see the available relationships. Available linked relationships include the following:

Bill Versions (BILLS)
Presidential Signing Statements (CPD or "Compilation of Presidential Documents")
Congressional Reports (CRPT)
Bill History (HOB or "History of Bills")
Public and Private Laws (PLAW)
Statutes at Large (STATUTE)
United States Code (USCODE)

Please see the API documentation to give it a try.

Here is an example of a set of relationships for a Congressional Bill:

https://api.govinfo.gov/related/BILLS-106hr1000enr?api_key=DEMO_KEY

Download up to 1,000 Search Results: One year ago, govinfo launched the capability to download search results in bulk in machine-readable formats, supporting 100 results in JSON and CSV formats. This release, the amount has been increased to 1,000 results to better meet users’ needs. Fields include the publication title, date, and teaser text, and links directly to the content files and Details pages. To use this functionality, perform a search in govinfo and then look to the top right of the Search Results page to click on the orange download icon.

Additional Citation Search Patterns for Congressional Bills and Public and Private Laws: As of this release, new citation search patterns are now supported for Congressional Bills and Public and Private Laws collections on govinfo. Expanding options for citation patterns supports flexibility with how users prefer or are taught to structure citations within a search, as this can differ widely. View all supported citation search patterns, including examples for each within the govinfo Help information for Congressional Bills and Public and Private Laws. Please note that these changes require content to be republished for the updates to take effect, and this will be completed over a period of time.

Search Engine Upgrade: An upgrade was performed on our search engine, which is a key component of the system that fuels govinfo's robust, metadata-powered search experience. This upgrade enables us to make additional future enhancements to the search engine to further customize and enrich the search experience.

Internal Repository Enhancements: Internal components experienced a number of upgrades to keep pace with the latest features and technologies. These included an upgrade to the toolset that is used to work with PDF files, an upgrade to the technologies that support the Related Documents functionality, and also database upgrades. The repository also now supports improved publishing processes for multiple renditions within documents for the Miscellaneous Government Publications (bulk publishing) collection.

Other Fixes and Improvements

Added new parameter so that API users can specify a bill version in the collections and published endpoints.
Adjusted the API for the Congressional Record to correctly display 3 or more books on one day.
Created a new RSS feed that shows only new and updated Enrolled Bills.
Fixed edge case where certain full-text of some documents were not being indexed in the search engine.
Resolved issue within content ZIP files where /uslm links were not correctly showing up within Dissemination Information Packages (DIP); this impacted Congressional Bills, Public and Private Laws, Statute Compilations, and U.S. Statutes at Large collections.
Fixed a Congressional Record parsing issue to correctly identify House Managers in Senate Impeachment trials documents.
Updated descriptions populating meta tags for social media sharing purposes on About, Features, and Help pages.
Adjusted Document in Context styling of buttons and alignment on Code of Federal Regulations Details pages.
Fixed an issue with indexing About, Feature, and Help pages when content was updated or edited.
Fixed an issue with U.S. Courts RSS feeds.
Fixed USLM buttons on Committee browse pages which previously were labeled as XML.
Made the display of format buttons for documents consistent across Search Results, Browse, Document in Context, and Download locations.
Fixed an issue with the display of the sorting button on Budget and other GPO collection browse pages and also enabled copy/paste accordion accuracy.
Updated error display messages for Bulk Data pages.
Adjusted reports provided to stakeholders per request.
Added CongMember Party Types to the Metadata Editor.
Changed Statute Compilations in the Metadata Editor for the title field to be editable.
Fixed shortTitle level attribute issues across collections in the Metadata Editor.
Corrected personalAuthor issue within Public and Private Laws in the Metadata Editor.
Fixed a CSS issue within the Metadata Editor’s Date Picker functionality for several collections.
Made modifications to improve rules for submission warning and error notifications.
Expanded automated testing for internal components to include new test cases.
Performed scaling activities for analytics and metrics reporting to include monitoring and alert enhancements and performance tuning.
Enhanced internal functionality to support bulk loading of content with manual metadata edits.
Fixed specific Code of Federal Regulations conversion issue from the source format to XML.
Added additional storage for upcoming new collections and digitized content.
Implemented routine component upgrades, license and software updates, and security enhancements.
Performed integration activities in preparation for transforming Statute Compilations into USLM XML and making the files available as bulk data.
Updated functionality and processes in preparation for receiving files from GPO’s XPub system and making the files available on govinfo.

Coming Soon

Continue analysis and design for the upcoming Digitized Serial Set collection, working toward further development in the coming months.
Explore caching efficiencies and events handling technology solutions for improved performance.
Continue integration activities in support of new formats produced through GPO’s XPub and USLM initiatives.

About Release Notes – Changes to govinfo components are made through code deployments on a quarterly release cycle. Release Notes are published after deployments to highlight some of the key changes, summarize other noteworthy activities, and recap new content, feature articles, and top searches since the previous release Read previous editions of Release Notes.

National Poison Prevention Week

Tue, 23 Mar 2021 16:54:18 +0000

The third full week in March is dedicated to raising awareness, highlighting the dangers of poisonings, and promoting involvement in prevention

Featured Content

75 Stat. 681 was passed by Congress on September 26, 1961 requesting the President to establish a National Poison Prevention Week, and on February 7, 1962, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed the third week of March for this annual observation. The Poison Prevention Week Council was then organized to coordinate this annual event.

Related Legislation and Regulations

Poison Control Center Enhancement and Awareness Act Amendments of 2003, 117 Stat. 2888, An act to provide assistance for poison prevention and to stabilize the funding of regional poison control centers
Poison Prevention Packaging Act of 1970 Regulations, 16 CFR E
Maintenance of the national toll-free number, 42 U.S.C. 300d-71
Nationwide media campaign to promote poison control center utilization, 42 U.S.C. 300d-72
Maintenance of the poison control center grant program, 42 U.S.C. 300d-73
Poison Center Network Act*
Poison Prevention Packaging Act of 1970*
Search hearings on govinfo

*Asterisks indicate links to a Statute Compilation. This is a compilation of the public law, as amended, is an unofficial document and should not be cited as legal evidence of the law. Learn more.

Visit the Health Resources and Services Administration's site for poison prevention tips and resources.

Women's History Month

Tue, 09 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000

A time to recognize the strides women have made in fighting for equality

Featured Content

This brief historic timeline, adapted from the National Archives' Women's Rights Timeline, outlines some of the most important moments in advancing women’s rights, as well as noteworthy legislation, some that succeeded, and some that failed, in United States history.

Women’s History Month is a time to “join in commemorating and encouraging the study, observance and celebration of the vital role of women in American history.”
https://womenshistorymonth.gov

January 10, 1878 – An Amendment granting women the right to vote is introduced in Congress by Senator A.A. Sargent of California. The amendment doesn’t pass until 1920, 42 years later. See page 248 of 7 Cong. Rec. (Bound) in which the Amendment was first introduced.

April 2, 1917 – Sworn in on the opening day of the 65th Congress (1917–1919), Representative Rankin became the first woman Member in Congress’s 128-year history. Learn more about Women in Congress in House Document 116-152, published as an eBook for 1917 to 2020 and as a PDF for 1917 to 2006.

June 4, 1919 – The 19th amendment is passed by Congress. See page 1 of 58 Cong. Rec. (Bound) on that day. See the 19th Amendment in Senate Document 116-3, the Pocket Constitution, and in the Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation, popularly known as the Constitution Annotated, which encompasses the U.S. Constitution and analysis and interpretation of the U.S. Constitution with in-text annotations of cases decided by the Supreme Court of the United States. The Constitution Annotated is also available on constitution.congress.gov.

August 24, 1920 – Tennessee becomes the 36th state to ratify the 19th amendment. This makes for a ¾ agreement by the states, and granted women the right to vote.

January 12, 1932 – Hattie Wyatt Caraway of Arkansas becomes the first woman to be elected to the U.S. Senate.

June 19, 1944 – Representative Winifred Stanley introduces a bill that proposes employers be required to pay women equal pay for equal work. The bill does not pass. See her proposed legislation on page 55 of the 90 Cong. Rec. (Bound).

June 10, 1963 – Congress passes the Equal Pay Act which aims to abolish wage disparity based on sex. See 29 U.S.C. 206

June 23, 1972 – Education Amendments of 1972, 86 Stat.235, are enacted, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex in any federally funded education program or activity.

August 21, 1974 – Women’s Educational Equity Act (WEEA) 88 Stat.484, is enacted, promoting educational equity for women in the United States. See page 71.

October 31, 1978 – The Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) of 1978, 92 Stat 2076, passed, prohibiting sex discrimination on the basis of pregnancy.

February 5, 1993 – The Family and Medical Leave Act* is enacted to balance the demands of the workplace with the needs of families and to promote the stability and economic security of families. It also allows employees to take reasonable leave for medical reasons, for the birth or adoption of a child, and for the care of a child, spouse, or parent who has a serious health condition.

September 13, 1994 – The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA)* becomes law. VAWA is the first comprehensive federal legislative package designed to end violence against women. It includes provisions on rape and battering that focused on prevention, funding for victim services and evidentiary matters.

*Asterisks indicate links to a Statute Compilation. This is a compilation of the public law, as amended, is an unofficial document and should not be cited as legal evidence of the law. Learn more.

Search govinfo for more documents and legislation related to Women’s History Month.

Women in Congress eBook Now Available

Thu, 04 Mar 2021 00:00:00 +0000

New edition of Women in Congress eBook available

News

H. Doc. 116-152, Women in Congress, 1917 - 2020, is available in EPUB format on govinfo. Published by the U.S. House of Representatives, this publication is an update through the end of the 115th Congress to the 1917 - 2017 edition.

What's an EPUB and how do I view it?

H. Doc. 116-152 - Women in Congress 1917 - 2020 Tuesday, September 15, 2020

EPUB Details

An EPUB reader or browser extension is required to view this eBook.

Related Resources:

Previous edition of Women in Congress, 1917 - 2017
Previous edition of Women in Congress, 1917 - 2006
Browse other available Federal Government eBooks from the U.S. Government Bookstore or in the Catalog of Government Publications
Women in Congress exhibition page maintained by the Office of the Historian, U.S. House of Representatives

Peace Corps Turns 60

Mon, 01 Mar 2021 21:59:50 +0000

This year’s theme, “60 Years of Service,” celebrates all the ways that Peace Corps makes a difference at home and abroad

Featured Content

President Kennedy established the Peace Corps 60 years ago on March 1, 1961, to assist developing countries.

"Nothing carries the spirit of American idealism and expresses our hopes better and more effectively to the far corners of the earth than the Peace Corps."

Source: National Archives - An excerpt from President John F. Kennedy’s last State of the Union address, January 14, 1963

The Peace Corps is a volunteer program run by the United States Government that sends American volunteers to developing countries to assist with health care, education, and other basic human needs. Established by Executive Order 10924 and issued by President John F. Kennedy on March 1, 1961, the program was announced by a televised broadcast on March 2, 1961. Then with authorization by Congress on September 21, 1961, the Peace Corps Act (75 Stat. 612) was passed.

The Peace Corps' Mission is to promote world peace and friendship by fulfilling three goals:

To help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

This year, Peace Corps week is February 28 - March 6. During this week the Peace Corps community acknowledges how their mission to promote world peace and friendship remains more relevant than ever. Check out the Peace Corps website to see how you can join a virtual celebration or share stories of service.

Additional Resources

Founding Documents of the Peace Corps, National Archives,

History of the Peace Corps from the John F. Kennedy Library

View and read more background information on Executive Order 10924 on ourdocuments.gov website.

Check out these Peace Corps publications: Voices From the Field, A Life Inspired: Tales of Peace Corps Service, and, Crossing Cultures With the Peace Corps: Peace Corps Letters From the Field as well as others for sale on the U.S. GPO Bookstore website.

About Featured Content Articles – This series of articles aims to highlight content available in govinfo related to various national observances, commemorations, anniversaries and more. See more featured content articles.

GPO Celebrates Milestone of U.S. Courts Opinions Published on govinfo

Thu, 25 Feb 2021 18:45:42 +0000

GPO Publishes 3.2 million U.S. Courts Opinions from 140 Federal courts on govinfo

News

The govinfo website provides access to millions of documents produced by all three branches of the U.S. Government. This February, GPO celebrates the milestone of providing access to over 3.2 million opinions from 140 United States appellate, district, and bankruptcy courts. Since FY21 began in October, five new courts have started to make their opinions available in govinfo. The most recent court is the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, which has published over 48.6 thousand opinions in govinfo.

The U.S. Courts collection in govinfo is an ongoing, collaborative effort between the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) and the Administrative Office of the United States Courts (AOUSC) that began in 2011 as a pilot project with a select number of Federal courts. Based on the resounding success of the pilot, the collaboration has expanded over the years. Opinions are generally available as far back as 2004, some even older, and are searchable at the individual opinion level. The opinions can be found using basic and advanced search techniques over various search fields such as opinion filed date, court type, court name, case number, nature of suit, party name, party role, state, and more.

Finding Information in the U.S. Courts Opinions Collection in govinfo

Search options are available by clicking the orange SEARCH button at the top right corner of any page.

Basic Search – Use keywords, search operators, and metadata fields in the single search box.

Search only in the U.S. Courts collection by adding collection:uscourts to your Basic Search query. Alternatively, you can perform a search and then locate United States Courts Opinions in the filters on the left side Refine Your Search navigation area of the search results page.
Combine fields for targeted searches. For example, use Basic Search to find opinions related to the Nature of Suit for "Antitrust" in 2018.

Advanced Search – Click here to select a date or date range, collection, and up to 5 additional fields.

First, select United States Courts Opinions under Refine by Collection. Then, fields customized to the U.S. Courts collection will populate automatically in the boxes under the Search In heading.
Combine fields for targeted searches. For example, use Advanced Search to find opinions related to the Nature of Suit for “Antitrust” in 2018 for the state of California.

Browse – Click here to browse U.S. Courts opinions by court type, court name, year, and case number.

If you would like to track when opinions are made available in govinfo by a specific court, you can subscribe to the govinfo RSS feed for an individual court. In addition, a list of courts and their respective court codes is available in govinfo Help information which includes search examples, metadata samples for constructing complex query strings, and other useful tips for locating opinions.

Looking for all opinions associated with a case of particular interest? Try a search for an opinion, for example, related to a topic such as toxic substances. Then, select the Details button for more information about a specific opinion. Finally, navigate to the Document in Context tab on that page to view all opinions for that case. The opinions are listed in chronological order, and the PDF or Details information can be accessed for each opinion.

Learn more about U.S. Court opinions and the Federal court system at uscourts.gov. >

Presidents' Day

Fri, 12 Feb 2021 12:12:38 +0000

Observed the third Monday in February, recognizing George Washington’s birthday and honoring the history of the American presidency

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In the late 1870s, Senator Steven Wallace Dorsey proposed the idea of adding Washington's birth date, February 22, to the four existing bank holidays previously approved in 1870. Signed into law January 31, 1879, by President Rutherford B. Hayes, the law was implemented in 1880 and applied only to District federal workers. Washington's Birthday had become the first Federal holiday to single out an individual's birth date, and the honor lasted for less than a century. In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill which moved a number of Federal holidays to Mondays. In 1971, with the implementation of the Uniform Monday Holiday Law (82 Stat. 250 ), the third Monday in February became the date on which Washington's Birthday is celebrated. Some reformers had wanted to change the name of the holiday as well to Presidents' Day, in honor of both Lincoln and Washington, but that proposal was rejected by Congress and the holiday remained officially Washington's Birthday. While the name change has never been authorized by Congress, it has gained a strong hold on the public consciousness to honor all U.S. Presidents, and is generally used on calendars, in advertising, and even by many government agencies. (Source: National Archives )

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