ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline
Volume 12, Number 50
June 6, 2003

In This Issue: New GPO - OMB Pilot for Government Printing Announced

The Government Printing Office and the Office of Management and Budget announced today that by October 1, 2003, GPO will develop a _demonstration_ print procurement contract, similar to a GSA Federal Supply Schedule, for a Federal department or agency of OMB's choosing. 

Payments will be routed through GPO to private printers, with agencies approving them before they are made.  As a condition of payment, vendors would be required to provide GPO with one electronic version of every document ordered under the contract in a format acceptable to GPO and two paper copies, in order to meet the requirements of Chapter 19 of Title 44. U.S. Code. Additionally, the Superintendent of Documents will continue to have access, at its expense, to publications produced under this contract for public distribution.

Dr. Carla Hayden, the incoming President of the American Library Association and Director of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Maryland said, "On behalf of researchers and library users in all types of libraries, the American Library Association welcomes ideas that can improve permanent public access to government information, eliminate fugitive documents, and enhance the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). We believe this agreement will lead to more and better access to the important information published by the federal government." 

In order to participate in the contract vendors will be required to pledge to provide their "most favored customer pricing" to Federal customers and offer a 3% trade discount, during the demonstration project, to fund the operating costs of the contract.  The amount of the trade discount, once deployed government wide, will be reviewed for possible future reduction. A demonstration project will begin in FY2004, and the competitive procurement process will be deployed government-wide in FY2005.

To ensure that agency printing work is channeled through the new competitive procurement process, the Executive Branch will substantially limit the circumstances where agencies may rely on in-house or other Executive Branch printing operations.  OMB will seek audits and, where appropriate, review by Inspectors General.

A change in the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) will be sought to reflect these new arrangements.



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