specific hardware and/or software. It will enable GPO's customers to obtain hard copy publications and to electronically access the content they want, and it will enable GPO to deliver content in formats they desire. The system will automate many information lifecycle processes and make it easier to deliver content in formats suited to the needs of GPO's customers. Current printing industry trends show that the total volume of printed material has been declining for several years and this trend is expected to continue. A major factor in this declining volume is the use of electronic media options. The move to electronic dissemination is the latest phase in the electronic publishing revolution that has transformed the printing industry in recent decades. This revolution was driven by the development of increasingly sophisticated electronic publishing ("desktop publishing") software and the advent of the Internet which permits instantaneous distribution of electronic documents produced by new publishing processes, breaking the link between printing and dissemination. As in private industry, printing and dissemination of information in the federal government are being heavily affected by the changing technological environment. Our proposed Digital Content Management System is required for GPO to meet agency, congressional, and end user needs to ingest, preserve, and provide access to the information produced by the Federal Government. We would request the reprogramming of funds under the authority of the appropriations language for the Congressional Printing and Binding Appropriation and the Salaries and Expenses Appropriation of the Superintendent of Documents, which states, "...That any unobligated or unexpended balances in this account or accounts for similar purposes for preceding fiscal years may be transferred to the Government Printing Office revolving fund for carrying out the purposes of the heading, subject to the approval of the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and Senate." As noted above, GPO has obtained the approval of the Joint Committee on Printing for 4 contracts valued at $97,000 to assist in the development of plans for the Digital Content Management System. The Committee has requested us to provide further information on these plans following the completion of this work. Question 5. If authority exists that allows for this reprogramming, how much by fiscal year are you proposing? Response. GPO plans to request the approval of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to transfer $15,600,000 from prior year funds of the Congressional Printing and Binding Appropriation and $8,100,000 from prior year funds of the Salaries and Expenses Appropriation of the Superintendent of Documents. These funds will be used for carrying out the purposes of the headings under which they were appropriated. They will be transferred to GPO's revolving fund where they would remain available until expended for the development of the Digital Content Management System. Should the need arise, this funding would also be available to liquidate any shortfalls in these appropriation accounts that may occur through FY 2006 for printing and distributing Government publications for Congress and Federal depository libraries. In 2001, GPO received approval from the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to transfer balances from the 1997 and 1998 Congressional Printing and Binding accounts and the 1996 Salaries and Expenses account to the revolving fund, as authorized by P.L. 106-554. At present, the unliquidated balance in the funds transferred to the revolving fund from the Salaries and Expenses Appropriation totals $1,396,000 and from the Congressional Printing and Binding Appropriations totals $1,479,800. These funds are restricted for liquidating obligations incurred for the purposes of these headings. The amounts from each account to be transferred to GPO's revolving fund are listed below: This action will enable GPO to invest in the continued transformation of GPO into a digital information processing facility, while continuing to meet the needs of our customers for traditional information products and services as required. Question 6. Under the revolving fund you say "You will offer customers more flexibility in choosing and working directly with vendors". How do you plan to accomplish this? Response. Primarily, the expanded choices will be provided by the new procurement programs discussed above. However, GPO is involving the customer agencies more in pre-award and post-award events to ensure that the vendors selected will be able to fully meet the customer's requirements. GPO continues to promote the use of direct-deal term contracts that can span a number of years and establish a long-term relationship between the agency and vendor. This results in smoother processing, better pricing, and fewer misunderstandings between the Government and the contractor. Question 7. You provide free low-cost publications that are distributed through the Federal Citizen Information Center in Pueblo, CO. GPO also provides distribution services to Federal agencies. Who pays for the cost of these publications? To which Federal agencies do you provide distribution services? Response. GPO does not pay for the cost of printing documents distributed on a reimbursable basis from either our Laurel, MD, or Pueblo, CO, facilities. The printing and binding costs for documents distributed on a reimbursable basis by these facilities are borne by the agency for which they are distributed. GPO provides distribution services for the following Federal agencies out of its facility in Pueblo, CO: Department of Homeland Security > Immigration and Customs Enforcement ➤ Transportation Security Administration GPO manages the FCIC in Pueblo, CO on behalf of the General Services Administration. Under this agreement, GPO distributes publications from the following agencies: Department of Agriculture > Food Safety and Inspection Services Department of Energy ➤ Energy Information Administration Department of Housing and Urban Development Department of Health and Human Services > The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services > Food and Drug Administration > National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal & Skin Diseases ➤ National Institute of Mental Health National Institutes of Health > Office of Child Support Enforcement > The Centers for Disease Control > National Human Genome Research Institute Department of Homeland Security > Federal Emergency Management Agency Department of Interior > Fish and Wildlife Service > National Park Service > The Bureau of Land Management Department of Justice Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics > Employee Benefits Security Administration Department of Transportation > Federal Aviation Administration Department of Treasury > Internal Revenue Service Department of Veterans Affairs ➤ Arlington National Cemetery Environmental Protection Agency Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Federal Reserve Board General Services Administration > Public Buildings Service Securities and Exchange Commission Government Printing Office Non-Government agencies participating in the FCIC through their relationship with the General Services Administration (GPO is reimbursed for the dissemination of their materials through the GSA): Alliance to Save Energy American Association of Retired People America's Health Insurance Plans Bridgestone/Firestone Consumer Federation of America Consumer Healthcare Products Association Electrical Safety Foundation International Metropolitan Life National Association of Securities Dealers National Futures Association National Consumer's League Securities Investor Protection Corporation Toy Industry Association Federal departments, agencies and offices serviced through the Reimbursable Mailings Program in Laurel, MD: Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts Supreme Court U.S. Courts of Appeals Patent and Trademark Office (Commerce) Geological Survey (Interior) Bureau of Labor Statistics (Labor) Federal Election Commission Election Assistance Commission Consumer Information Center (GSA) Commission on Civil Rights Administration on Children and Families (HHS) Office of Child Support Enforcement (HHS) Head Start (HHS) National Library of Medicine (HHS) President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities (HHS) Nuclear Regulatory Commission Peace Corps Smithsonian Institution Securities and Exchange Commission Financial Crimes Reporting Network (Treasury) National Archives and Records Administration Fish and Wildlife Service Question 8. You plan to obligate $31 million dollars for new equipment and infrastructure in fiscal year 2006. What are your plans in this regard? Response. GPO's revolving fund finances a continuing cycle of business-like operations. At the end of FY 2004, GPO operated property, plant and equipment with an original cost of about $199 million, and a depreciated net book value of about $59 million. It is necessary to invest in the development of improved products and services needed by customers, to increase productivity and service levels, and to replace worn-out and obsolete production equipment and information technology. We anticipate that total capital investments of about $31 million will be required in FY 2006. GPO needs to invest in the Digital Content Management System, which will enable us to preserve and provide access to Government information in a variety of formats required by the public in an electronic age. Investment during FY 2006 for the Digital Content Management System is estimated to be $17.5 million, including $5 million for digitization equipment. Capital requirements for existing operations total about $12.5 million, and include expanded capabilities for security documents, modernization of information technology, and maintenance of facilities. In addition, about $1.3 million will be required to continue planning and analysis for the proposed new building. Consistent with our Strategic Vision, the expected investment in the Digital Content Management System in FY 06 is $17.5 million, which includes $12.5 million for the Digital Content Management System and $5 million for digitization equipment. Program management for the Digital Content Management System is being accomplished through a "phases and gates" approach. Major aspects of the program are defined in phases that are accompanied by deliverables that are reviewed for completeness at the end of a phase. This review is the gate. Upon successful completion of a phase, the next phase is started. The high level phase and gate schedule for the Digital Content Management System is as follows: Work in phases 1 through 3 has been done almost entirely by GPO staff. We contracted some External expenditure will pick up quickly starting in phase 4, the implementation planning phase. Phase 5, where system development, implementation and prototyping occur, are where the |