Prices and Availability of Federal Register Publications

summary: The Administrative Committee of the Federal Register

(Administrative Committee) announces changes to the prices charged for

Federal Register publications. The price changes apply to annual

subscription rates for the daily Federal Register, the Code of Federal

Regulations, the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, the

monthly Federal Register Index and monthly LSA (List of CFR Sections

Affected), as well as to the single issue price of the daily Federal

Register. These price changes are necessary to more accurately reflect

the Government's cost of production and distribution of these

publications.

dates: The changes to 1 CFR 11.2, 1 CFR 11.6, 1 CFR 11.7, and 1 CFR

11.8 are effective October 26, 1994. The changes to 1 CFR 11.3 are

effective January 1, 1995.

Comments will be accepted until January 1, 1995.

addresses: Comments may be sent to the Office of the Federal Register

by the following methods: U.S. Mail: Office of the Federal Register,

National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC 20408.

Private delivery services or messengers: Office of the Federal

Register, 800 North Capitol Street NW., Suite 700, Washington, DC

20002. Fax: 202-523-6866. Electronic mail on FREND (Federal Register

Electronic News Delivery service): 202-275-1538 or 202-275-0920.

for further information contact: Michael White at 202-523-4534.

supplementary information: The Administrative Committee of the Federal

Register, which establishes prices for Federal Register publications,

has determined that it must make price adjustments to certain Federal

Register publications to accurately reflect costs of production and

distribution. Price adjustments apply to subscriptions and to single

issues.

On September 1, 1992, the Administrative Committee announced that

it was adopting a policy of full cost recovery to ensure that revenues

from subscriptions and single issue sales would keep pace with

increased costs attributable to printing and labor expenses at the

Government Printing Office (GPO) plant and prior postal rate increases

(57 FR 40024). The Administrative Committee resolved to adjust prices

over a period of several years and to conduct an annual review to

determine the rate of increase necessary to gradually bring prices into

alignment with costs. On December 10, 1993, the Administrative

Committee further adjusted prices of Federal Register publications

pursuant to the annual pricing review (58 FR 64871).

After reviewing the Government Printing Office's most current

analysis of its production and distribution costs, the Administrative

Committee has determined that further incremental increases in the

prices to be charged for the paper editions of Federal Register

publications are necessary to achieve full cost recovery. The increased

prices reflected in this final rule are primarily attributable to labor

charges, equipment costs and prospective postal rate increases for

second class mail. Changes to prices of the microfiche editions of the

Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) are also

included in this final rule. Production of the microfiche editions of

these publications is subject to a competitive bidding process that

determines the prices to be charged. While overall subscription prices

for microfiche copies have increased, prices of individual copies have

decreased or remained the same.

The following rates are effective as of October 26, 1994. The

annual subscription rates for the Federal Register paper edition are

increased to $494, or $544 for a combined Federal Register, Federal

Register Index and LSA (List of CFR Section Affected) subscription. The

annual subscription price of the microfiche edition of the Federal

Register, including the Federal Register Index and LSA, is increased to

$433. The price for single copies of the daily Federal Register is

increased to $8 for the paper edition. The annual subscription price

for the Federal Register Index is increased to $24. The annual

subscription price for the monthly LSA is increased to $26. The annual

subscription rates for the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents

are increased to $75 by non-priority mail, or $132 by first-class mail.

The price of an individual copy is increased to $3.

As of January 1, 1994, the annual subscription rates for a full set

of the Code of Federal Regulations are increased to $883 for the paper

edition and $264 for the microfiche edition. The price of a single

volume in microfiche form is reduced to $1.

In the 1992 and 1993 price change rule documents, the

Administrative Committee invited public comment on the pricing

structure of Federal Register publications. Three comments were

received regarding the December 10, 1993 rule. Two commenters inquired

whether unofficial Federal Register data formerly available as ACFR

publications on magnetic tape would instead be distributed under the

auspices of the Superintendent of Documents. This unofficial Federal

Register data derived from the printing data base remains available for

purchase from GPO in compressed diskette form as a GPO reproducible

product under the authority of 44 U.S.C. chapter 17. One commenter

inquired about implementation of the Government Printing Office

Electronic Information Access Enhancement Act of 1993 (GPO Access), 44

U.S.C. 4101, and asked when the official online edition of the Federal

Register would be available and how much it would cost to subscribe.

The online Federal Register, including full text and graphics, began

daily service on the GPO Access System's Wide Area Information Server

(WAIS) via the Internet on June 8, 1994. Subscription information is

contained on page II of the daily Federal Register or by telnet to

wais.access.gpo.gov (log in as newuser (all lower case); no password is

required). Dial-up users (SWAIS service) should use communications

software and modem to obtain subscription information at 202-512-1661

(log in as wais (all lower case); no password is required). Complete

price schedules, including discounts for multiple workstations, are

available by calling GPO at 202-512-1530 or by fax at 202-512-1262.

Prices are subject to continuous review and will be adjusted

periodically based upon GPO's calculation of the incremental cost of

dissemination.

In addition to the price changes contained in this document, the

Administrative Committee is updating Sec. 11.2 to reflect the

availability of the online Federal Register. The Committee has granted

authority to the Superintendent of Documents to price the online

Federal Register for the first six months of operation to allow GPO to

collect actual cost data. The Administrative Committee continues to

welcome comments on Federal Register publications and prices.

The Administrative Committee has determined that publication of a

proposed rule is unnecessary. The Administrative Committee has

authority under 44 U.S.C. 1506 to set the prices to be charged for

Federal Register subscriptions and individual copies. To the extent

possible, the Administrative Committee sets prices to recover only the

actual cost of producing and distributing Federal Register

publications. The revised prices are based on an in-depth cost study

conducted for the Administrative Committee by the Government Printing

Office. Because only actual costs were considered in setting the

revised price schedule based on an in-depth cost study, the

Administrative Committee has determined that there is good cause for

promulgating this final rule without a prior notice of proposed

rulemaking as permitted by 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(B).

This regulatory action has been reviewed by the Office of

Management and Budget, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs,

under Executive Order 12866. 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 of printing and distributing these

publications.

List of Subjects in 1 CFR Part 11

Federal Register publications, Government publications,

Organization and functions (Government agencies), Subscription rates.

For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Administrative

Committee of the Federal Register amends 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. Section 11.2 is revised to read as follows:

Sec. 11.2 Federal Register.

(a) Daily issues are furnished by mail to subscribers for $494 per

year in paper form. A combined subscription consisting of the daily

issues, the monthly Federal Register Index, and the monthly LSA (List

of CFR Sections Affected) is furnished by mail to subscribers for $544

per year in paper form or $433 per year in microfiche form. 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 obtained for $8 per copy in paper form or $1.50 per copy

in microfiche form.

(b) The online edition of the Federal Register is available by

subscription at prices determined by the Superintendent of Documents

under the general direction of the Administrative Committee.

3. Section 11.3 is revised to read as follows:

Sec. 11.3 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

A complete set is furnished by mail to subscribers for $883 per

year for the bound, paper edition; $264 per year for the microfiche

edition. Individual volumes of the bound, paper edition of the CFR are

sold at prices determined by the Superintendent of Documents under the

general direction of the Administrative Committee. The price of an

individual volume in microfiche form is $1 per copy.

4. Section 11.6 is revised to read as follows:

Sec. 11.6 Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents.

Copies in paper form are furnished to subscribers for $75 per year

by non-priority mail or $132 per year by first-class mail. The price of

an individual copy in paper form is $3.

5. Section 11.7 is revised 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 $24.

6. Section 11.8 is revised 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 $26.

Trudy Huskamp Peterson,

Chairman.

Michael F. Di Mario,

Member.

Rosemary Hart,

Member.

Janet Reno,

Attorney General.

Trudy Huskamp Peterson,

Acting Archivist of the United States.

[FR Doc. 94-23706 Filed 9-23-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4410-01-M