Wednesday 9 September 2009

New databases available on FDsys

The Government Printing Office has added eight new resource collections to FDsys (GPO's Federal Digital System). They are:
History of Bills (1983 - present) lists legislative actions on bills that are reported in the Congressional Record. In print this is part of the Congressional Record Index but on FDsys it is a separate collection. The current year's collection is updated daily. A typical entry includes a bill number, title, summary, names of sponsors and cosponsors, and a chronological list of actions on the bill.
Congressional Record Index (1983 - present) lists individuals, organizations, and topics mentioned in the Congressional Record.
Congressional Record (Bound Edition) (1998 - 2002) At the end of each session of Congress, all of the daily CR editions are collected, re-paginated, and re-indexed into a permanent, bound edition. This permanent edition is made up of one volume per session of Congress, with each volume published in multiple parts, each part containing approximately 10 to 20 days of Congressional proceedings. The primary ways in which the bound edition differs from the daily edition are continuous pagination; somewhat edited, revised, and rearranged text; and the dropping of the prefixes H, S, and E before page numbers.
U.S. Statutes at Large (2003 - 2006, authenticated digital signature), the permanent collection of all laws and resolutions enacted during each session of Congress. The Statutes at Large is legal evidence of the laws, concurrent resolutions, proclamations by the President, and proposed and ratified amendments to the Constitution.
Congressional Directory (105th Congress (1997) to present, authenticated digital signature) the official directory of the U.S. Congress. It contains short biographies of each member of the Senate and House, listed by state or district; committee memberships, terms of service, administrative assistants and/or secretaries, and room and telephone numbers for Members of Congress; officials of the courts, military establishments, and other Federal departments and agencies, including D.C. government officials, governors of states and territories, foreign diplomats, and members of the press, radio, and television galleries.
United States Government Manual (1995/1996 to present, authenticated digital signature), the official handbook of the Federal Government. It provides comprehensive information on the agencies of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches and also includes information on quasi-official agencies; international organizations in which the United States participates; and boards, commissions, and committees.
Economic Report of the President (1996 to present), an annual report written by the Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers. It overviews the nation's economic progress using text and extensive data appendices. The Economic Report of the President is transmitted to Congress no later than ten days after the submission of the Budget of the United States Government.
GAO Reports and Comptroller General Decisions (1994 to 2008) contains reports (“blue books”) on audits, surveys, investigations, and evaluations of Federal programs conducted by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). All published reports, testimonies, correspondence, and special publications are included. Products that are restricted or classified are not included. The GAO collection on FDsys is provided as an archive of the content as it was at the time GAO and the GPO signed an agreement to provide permanent public access to the GAO Reports database on September 19, 2008. More recent reports are available on the GAO Web site.

hat tip: Jamie Keller

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