Catalog of Federal Register Publications & Online Services

The Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents. It is updated daily by 6 a.m. and is published Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. FDsys contains Federal Register volumes from 59 (1994) to the present.

The daily volumes of the Federal Register, posted on FDsys as PDF files, are the official editions of the Federal Register, as sanctioned by the Administrative Committee of the Federal Register (1 CFR part 5). Documents are also available as ASCII text files or as XML documents (2000 forward). ASCII and XML files do not include graphics. The Federal Register and other Office of the Federal Register publications are also available as bulk XML downloads from data.gov and FDsys.

The Federal Register is jointly produced by the National Archives and Records Administration's (NARA) Office of the Federal Register (OFR), and the Government Printing Office (GPO) to provide the public with access to authentic government information.

The Unified Agenda, which appears twice a year in the printed version of the Federal Register, is maintained as a separate collection on FDsys.

Rules and Regulations Section in the Federal Register

This section of the Federal Register contains final rules and regulations: regulatory documents having general applicability and legal effect. Most rules are keyed to and codified in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). A document which amends text must include the changes to the CFR and state the effective date for any change.

Each document begins with a heading that includes the name of the issuing agency (and subagency if appropriate), the CFR title and part(s) affected, and a brief description of the specific subject of the document. In some cases an agency includes a docket number, which identifies the document within the agency's internal filing system. A Regulation Identifier Number (RIN) may also be included.

This section also contains interim rules that are issued without prior notice and are effective immediately; the interim rule is designed to respond to an emergency situation and is usually followed by a final rule document which confirms that the interim rule is final, addresses comments received, and includes any further amendments. Additionally, this section includes documents that have no regulatory text and do not amend the CFR, but either affect the agency's handling of its regulations or are of continuing interest to the public in dealing with an agency. In this category are general policy statements and interpretations of agency regulations. These documents have the CFR headings (title and part), but do not contain any codified language.

The terms “rules” and “regulations” have the same meaning within the Federal Register publication system.

Proposed Rules Section in the Federal Register

This section of the Federal Register contains notices to the public of the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in the rule making prior to the adoption of the final rules.

Many proposed rules are documents that suggest changes to agency regulations in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and request public comment on those suggested changes. This section also contains documents relating to previously published proposed rules, extending the comment period, announcing a public hearing, making available supplemental information, withdrawing a proposed rule, or correcting a previously published proposed rule.

This section includes advanced notices of proposed rulemaking, which describe a problem or situation and the anticipated regulatory action of the agency and seek public response concerning the necessity for regulation and the adequacy of the agency's anticipated regulatory action. Additionally, many agencies voluntarily publish proposed changes to procedural rules, interpretative rules and agency policies to gather public comments.

Each document begins with a heading that includes the name of the issuing agency (and subagency if appropriate), the CFR title and part(s) affected, and a brief description of the specific subject of the document. In some cases an agency docket number, which identifies the document within the agency's internal filing system. A Regulation Identifier Number (RIN) may also be included. Instructions for filing comments and the date by which comments must be filed are provided.

The terms “rules” and “regulations” have the same meaning within the Federal Register publication system.

Notices Section in the Federal Register

This section of the Federal Register contains documents other than rules or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, delegations of authority, issuances or revocation of licenses, grant application deadlines, availability of environmental impact statements, filing of petitions and applications, and agency statements of organization and functions are examples of documents appearing in this section.

Presidential Documents Section in the Federal Register

This section of the Federal Register contains documents signed by the President and submitted to the Office of the Federal Register for publication. Presidential documents include proclamations and Executive orders as well as other documents such as determinations, letters, memorandums, and reorganization plans. The documents are complied annually in title 3 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

Sunshine Act Meetings in the Federal Register

The Federal Register contains notices of meetings published under the “Government in the Sunshine Act” (Pub. L. 94–409), 5 U.S.C. 552b(e)(3). Formerly, the Federal Register contained a separate Sunshine Act Meeting category (ended in January 1996).

In recognition of the public's right to the fullest possible information about the Federal decision-making process, the Government in the Sunshine Act requires that meetings of Government agencies be open to the public, with certain specified exceptions. The Act also requires that public announcement be made in the Federal Register of the time, place, and subject matter of the meeting, the name and telephone number of the agency official to contact for more information, and whether the meeting is open or closed to the public.

Reader Aids in the Federal Register

This section of the Federal Register is designed to help the reader find specific information in the Federal Register system, as distinguished from the finding aids in the preliminary pages (Contents section) which are more oriented to one particular issue of the Federal Register.

Information and Assistance. Appearing first is the listing of Office of the Federal Register telephone numbers to call for specific information.

Federal Register Pages and Dates. This is a table of the inclusive page numbers and corresponding dates for the current month's Federal Register.

CFR Parts Affected During the Current Month. This is a cumulative list of Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) parts affected by rules and proposed rules published in the Federal Register during the current month.

Corrections Section in the Federal Register

Editorial corrections of previously published Presidential, Rule, Proposed Rule, and Notice documents are published in each of the four document categories. These corrections are prepared by the Office of the Federal Register to correct typographical or clerical errors made in the printing of the Federal Register. Agency-prepared corrections and minor technical amendments are issued as signed documents and appear in the appropriate document categories. Formerly, the Federal Register contained a separate corrections section (ended in August 2008).

Federal Register XML Bulk Data XML Files

The U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) and the National Archives’ Office of the Federal Register (OFR) partnership is offering bulk data downloads of Federal Register XML files to the general public via Data.gov and FDsys at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/bulkdata/FR. Information on the legal status, authenticity, and schema of the Federal Register XML renditions can be found in the User Guide Document — Federal Register XML Rendition at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/bulkdata/FR/resources .

What is the e-CFR, and what is the legal status of this publication?

The Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR) is a current, daily updated version of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). It is not an official legal edition of the CFR. The e-CFR is an unofficial editorial compilation of CFR material and Federal Register amendments.

• The Administrative Committee of the Federal Register (ACFR) has authorized the National Archives and Records Administration’s (NARA) Office of the Federal Register (OFR) and the Government Printing Office (GPO) to develop and maintain the e-CFR as an informational resource pending ACFR action to grant the e-CFR official legal status. The OFR/GPO partnership is committed to presenting accurate and reliable regulatory information in the e-CFR editorial compilation with the objective of establishing it as an ACFR sanctioned publication in the future. While every effort has been made to ensure that the e-CFR is accurate, those relying on it for legal research should verify their results against the official editions of the CFR, Federal Register and List of CFR Sections Affected (LSA), all available online at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys. Until the ACFR grants it official status, the e-CFR editorial compilation does not provide legal notice to the public or judicial notice to the courts. The OFR updates the material in the e-CFR on a daily basis. Generally, the e-CFR is current within two business days. The current update status is displayed at the top of all e-CFR web pages.

How does the e-CFR function?

• The e-CFR consists of two linked databases: the "current Code" and "amendment files." The OFR updates the current Code database according to the effective dates of amendments published in the Federal Register .
• As amendments become effective, the OFR integrates the changes into the current Code database to display the full text of the currently updated CFR.
• For future-effective amendments, the OFR inserts hypertext links into the affected sections or parts of the current Code to take users to the pertinent amendment files. The amendment files contain amendatory instructions, the text of amendments (if any), the effective dates, the Federal Register date and page citation, and a link to Federal Register page where the amendment appeared.
• If the effective date of a regulation falls on a weekend or federal holiday, the amendments will be integrated into the current Code within two federal business days.

What special rules and procedures apply to display of future amendments and effective dates in the e-CFR?

• Publication of amendments and editorial information. The amendment files show each amendment as it appeared in the Federal Register with some additional information. The information provided includes the amendatory instruction, the text of the amendment (if any), the effective date, the Federal Register date and page citation, and a link to the Federal Register page (PDF format) where the amendment was published.
• Historical information in amendment files. The amendment files include some amendments that have already been integrated into the current Code database of e-CFR. Be sure to read the effective date information thoroughly.
• Exercise caution in researching amendment files . Future-effective amendments in the linked amendment files do not always become effective as originally stated in the Federal Register. Agencies may delay or withdraw future-effective amendments before the effective date of the regulations. We advise users to check the e-CFR on the day after a regulation is scheduled to go into effect to be certain that the agency did not publish a delay or withdrawal document in the Federal Register.
• Temporary rules and other un-codified rulemaking actions. The e-CFR (like the annual editions of the CFR) does not include, or link to "temporary rules" and other regulations that will be in effect for less than one year. The e-CFR also does not link to Federal Register documents that do not change the text or effective date of regulations. These include waivers, most interpretive rules, policy statements and clarifications, as well as documents that affect compliance dates and applicability dates. These types of documents are available in the Federal Register and are referenced in the LSA (List of CFR Sections Affected).
• Amendments affected by the Paperwork Reduction Act. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act, certain material related to information collections cannot become effective until approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). For the convenience of users, an amendment published in the Federal Register with OMB approval pending is provisionally incorporated into the text of the current Code, along with an effective date note carried at the end of the section.
• Partially effective CFR amendments. A new regulation may contain units of text with different effective dates. If a unit of text has a later effective date than the text in surrounding parallel units, the e-CFR includes the later-effective text in the current Code for the convenience of users. An effective date note carried at the end of the section alerts readers to the later effective date.
• Changes to authority citations. If an authority citation is revised after publication of an amendment with future effectiveness, the e-CFR amendment file links to the changed authority citation until the amendment is incorporated into the current Code.
• Inconsistent or erroneous amendments. An amendment that was stated erroneously or that is clearly inconsistent with the codification structure or effectiveness of the current Code or pending amendments is cited in an editorial note, either within the text of the section where the amendment would appear, or at the end of the section.

How are editorial errors accounted for in the e-CFR?

• The e-CFR Corrections Compilation lists editorial errors made by the OFR in processing e-CFR amendments. The Corrections Compilation cites the CFR title and section affected, the corrective action taken, the “current as of” date the error occurred, and the “current as of” date the error was corrected.
• Errors made by issuing agencies are not reflected in the Corrections Compilation table. Agencies correct their errors by publishing CFR amendment documents in the Federal Register. Those changes are integrated into e-CFR in the same manner as other amendments. Agency correction documents are generally styled as “final rule corrections” or “technical amendments.”

What is incorporation by reference?

• Incorporation by reference is a legal process established under the Freedom of Information Act that permits Federal agencies to grant legally enforceable status to certain national consensus standards and other published materials. If agencies receive the approval of the OFR, the referenced material has the same legal status that it would have if it were published in full text in the Federal Register and CFR. Agencies must ensure that the referenced material is specifically identified by date and edition, and that it is reasonably available to the public.

The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government. It is divided into 50 titles that represent broad areas subject to Federal regulation. Each volume of the CFR is updated once each calendar year and is issued on a quarterly basis.

• Titles 1-16 are updated as of January 1st
• Titles 17-27 are updated as of April 1st
• Titles 28-41 are updated as of July 1st
• Titles 42-50 are updated as of October 1st

Each title is divided into chapters, which usually bear the name of the issuing agency. Each chapter is further subdivided into parts that cover specific regulatory areas. Large parts may be subdivided into subparts. All parts are organized in sections, and most citations in the CFR are provided at the section level. A list of agencies and where they appear in the CFR may be found in Appendix C of the U.S. Government Manual.

The annual editions of the CFR, posted on FDsys as PDF files, are the official editions of the CFR, as sanctioned by the Administrative Committee of the Federal Register (1 CFR part 8). The volumes of the CFR are jointly produced by the National Archives and Records Administration's (NARA) Office of the Federal Register (OFR), and the Government Printing Office (GPO) to provide the public with access to authentic government information.

CFR volumes are added to FDsys concurrent with the release of the paper editions. When revised CFR volumes are added, the prior editions remain on FDsys as a historical set. Some CFR records on FDsys date back to 1996; all titles are available from 1997 to the current year. Documents are available as ASCII text and PDF files. Documents are also available in XML format.

NOTE: "[Reserved]" is a term used as a place holder within the Code of Federal Regulations. An agency uses "[Reserved]" to simply indicate that it may insert regulatory information into this location some time in the future. Occasionally "[Reserved]" is used to indicate that a portion of the CFR was intentionally left empty and not accidentally dropped due to a printing or computer error.

The List of Sections Affected (LSA) provides a cumulative list of CFR sections that have been changed at any time since each CFR title was last updated.

The Code of Federal Regulations is available on FDsys from 1996 (partial) forward.

Code of Federal Regulations XML Bulk Data XML Files

The U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) and the National Archives’ Office of the Federal Register (OFR) partnership offers bulk data downloads of CFR XML files to the general public via Data.gov and FDsys at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/bulkdata/CFR . Information on the legal status, authenticity, and schema of the CFR XML renditions can be found in the User Guide Document – Code of Federal Regulations XML Rendition at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/bulkdata/CFR/resources/CFR-XML_User-Guide_v1.pdf.

The List of CFR Sections Affected lists proposed, new, and amended Federal regulations that have been published in the Federal Register since the most recent revision date of a Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) title. It is published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration.

Each LSA issue is cumulative and contains the CFR part and section numbers, a description of its status (e.g., amended, confirmed, revised), and the Federal Register page number where the change(s) may be found. The LSA is issued monthly; however, on FDsys, the LSA also contains three supplemental services: the List of CFR Parts Affected Today, Current List of CFR Parts Affected, and Last Month’s List of CFR Parts Affected.

• List of CFR Parts Affected Today: Lists the CFR parts affected by change(s) appearing in most current issue Federal Register. The Federal Register is published Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
• Current List of CFR Parts Affected: Lists the CFR parts affected by change(s) since the last monthly issue of the LSA.
• Last Month's List of CFR Parts Affected: Lists only the CFR parts affected by change(s) during the last month.

FDsys contains the LSA from 1997 forward. Documents are available as ASCII text and Adobe Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF) files.

Executive Order 12866 (58 FR 51735) and the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 602) require that agencies publish semiannual regulatory agendas describing regulatory actions they are developing or have recently completed. Agencies of the United States Congress are not included. The agendas are published in the Federal Register, usually during April and October each year, as part of the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions. The Unified Agenda has appeared in the Federal Register twice each year since 1983 and is available electronically on GPO Access from 1994 forward.

The Unified Agenda is compiled by the General Services Administration's Regulatory Information Service Center in cooperation with the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), part of the Office of Management and Budget. It is then published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

In the table of contents for the Federal Register issue, the agendas are listed by the issuing agency under the Proposed Rule section of the Federal Register. Each agenda begins with a preamble and a table of contents.

The Regulatory Information Service Center assigns a Regulation Identifier Number (RIN) to identify each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda.

Example: RIN: 1205-AB40: Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance Benefits; Amendment of Regulations

Because of its unique schedule and content, the Unified Agenda is maintained as a separate database on FDsys. Documents are available as ASCII text and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files.

Change in Unified Agenda, effective Fall 2007

Beginning with the fall 2007 edition of the Unified Agenda, agencies publish in the Federal Register only those Agenda entries for rules which are likely to have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities and entries that have been selected for periodic review under section 610 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act. For fall editions, the entire Regulatory Plan, required by Executive Order 12866, is also published in the Federal Register.

An edition of the Unified Agenda containing additional regulatory information that does not appear in the Federal Register version is available online through Reginfo.gov. The version on GPO Access is identical to the version printed in the Federal Register. Please see Reginfo.gov for Regulatory Agenda information not published in the Federal Register.

Public and private laws are prepared and published by the Office of the Federal Register (OFR), National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). GPO Access contains the text of public and private laws enacted from the 104th Congress to the present. The database for the current session of Congress is updated when the publication of a slip law is authorized by OFR. Documents are available as ASCII text and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files.

After the President signs a bill into law, it is delivered to the Office of the Federal Register (OFR), National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) where it is assigned a law number, legal statutory citation (public laws only), and prepared for publication as a slip law. Private laws receive their legal statutory citations when they are published in the United States Statutes at Large.

Prior to publication as a slip law, OFR also prepares marginal notes and citations for each law, and a legislative history for public laws only. Until the slip law is published, through the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), the text of the law can be found by accessing the enrolled version of the bill.

Note: A slip law is an official publication of the law and is "competent evidence," admissible in all state and Federal courts and tribunals of the United States (1 U.S.C. 113).

What is the difference between a public and private law?

• Public Laws: Most laws passed by Congress are public laws. Public laws affect society as a whole. Public laws citations include the abbreviation, Pub.L., the Congress number (e.g. 107), and the number of the law. For example: Pub.L. 107-006.

• Private laws: Affect an individual, family, or small group. Private laws are enacted to assist citizens that have been injured by government programs or who are appealing an executive agency ruling such as deportation. Private laws citations include the abbreviation, Pvt.L., the Congress number (e.g. 107), and the number of the law. For example: Pvt.L. 107-006.

Public and private laws contain the following information in either the header or side notes:

• Public law number
• Date of enactment
• Bill number
• Popular name of the law
• Statutes at Large citation
• U.S. Code citation
• Legislative history (Public laws only)

At the end of each session of Congress, the slip laws are compiled into bound volumes called the Statutes at Large, and they are known as "session laws." The Statutes at Large present a chronological arrangement of the laws in the exact order that they have been enacted.

Every six years, public laws are incorporated into the United States Code, which is a codification of all general and permanent laws of the United States. A supplement to the United States Code is published during each interim year until the next comprehensive volume is published. The U.S. Code is arranged by subject matter, and it shows the present status of laws with amendments already incorporated in the text that have been amended on one or more occasions. It is maintained as a separate collection on FDsys.

The United States Statutes at Large, typically referred to as the Statutes at Large, is the permanent collection of all laws and resolutions enacted during each session of Congress. The Statutes at Large is prepared and published by the Office of the Federal Register (OFR), National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). GPO Access contains the statutes enacted in the 108th Congress, Volumes 117-118 and the 109th Congress, Volume 119-120. Future volumes will be added as they become available. Documents are available as ASCII text and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files.

Every public and private law passed by Congress is published in the Statutes at Large in order of the date it was enacted into law. The laws are arranged by Public Law number and are cited by volume and page number. Also included in the United States Statutes at Large are concurrent resolutions, proclamations by the President, proposed and ratified amendments to the Constitution, and reorganization plans. Until 1948, treaties and international agreements approved by the Senate were also published in the Statutes at Large.

The private firm, Little, Brown, and Company, began publishing the Statutes at Large in 1845 under authority granted by a joint resolution of the 28th Congress. In 1874, the authority to publish was transferred to the U.S. Government Printing Office under the direction of the Secretary of State. In 1950, the Department of State's responsibility for publishing the Statutes at Large was transferred to the General Services Administration and the OFR. Upon the establishment of NARA in 1985, the Archivist of the United States was given the authority to publish the Statutes at Large, acting through the OFR and the Congressional Printing Management Division of GPO.

Under the provisions of 1 U.S.C. 112, the printed edition of the Statutes at Large is legal evidence of the laws, concurrent resolutions, proclamations by the President, and proposed and ratified amendments to the Constitution. The Statutes at Large database on GPO Access is an informational resource, which provides full text search and retrieval of the material published in the printed edition.

The Public Papers of the Presidents, which is compiled and published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration, began in 1957 in response to a recommendation of the National Historical Publications Commission. Noting the lack of uniform compilations of messages and papers of the Presidents before this time, the Commission recommended the establishment of an official series in which Presidential writings, addresses, and remarks of a public nature could be made available.

Volumes covering the administrations of Presidents Hoover, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Clinton, and George W. Bush are included in the Public Papers series. Currently, FDsys contains the Public Papers for Presidents George H.W. Bush, Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. Additional volumes covering the administrations of Presidents Hoover, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, and Reagan will be made available from GPO in the future. Currently, volumes are published approximately twice a year, and each volume covers approximately a 6-month period.

NOTE: The papers of President Franklin Roosevelt were published privately before the commencement of the official Public Papers series.

Each Public Papers volume contains the papers and speeches of the President of the United States that were issued by the Office of the Press Secretary during the specified time period. The material is presented in chronological order, and the dates shown in the headings are the dates of the documents or events. In instances when the release date differs from the date of the document itself, that fact is shown in the textnote.

To ensure accuracy, remarks have been checked against a tape recording and signed documents have been checked against the original, unless otherwise noted. Editors at OFR have provided textnotes and cross references for purposes of identification or clarity. Speeches were delivered in Washington, DC, unless indicated. The times noted are local times.

The appendices to the Public Papers contain additional material that has been previously published in the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents. A companion to the Public Papers series, the Weekly Compilation was begun in 1965 to provide a broader range of Presidential materials on a more timely basis to meet the needs of the contemporary reader. This expanded coverage in the Public Papers provided by the appendices in each Public Papers volume provides listings of:

• A digest of the President's daily schedule and meetings, when announced, and other items of general interest issued by the Office of the Press Secretary;
• The President's nominations submitted to the Senate;
• A checklist of materials released by the Office of the Press Secretary that are not printed full-text in the book; and
• A table of Proclamations, Executive orders, and other Presidential documents released by the Office of the Press Secretary and published in the Federal Register

Each Public Papers volume features a foreword signed by the President, and a portfolio of photographs selected from White House Photo Office files, as well as subject and name indexes, and a document categories list.

The Compilation of Presidential Documents collection is composed of the Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents and its predecessor, the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents. It is published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) under the authority of the Federal Register Act, (44 U.S.C. Ch. 15; 1 CFR part 10).

This FDsys collection integrates material from the weekly publication dating from 1993, with Daily Compilation material as published from January 20, 2009 — forward. The website is updated frequently, as information is released by the White House press office to Federal Register editors. Documents appearing in the Compilation of Presidential Documents collection are edited for accuracy and annotated with additional information to provide an authoritative record of the Presidency. It includes such material as:

• Proclamations
• Executive orders
• Speeches
• Press conferences
• Communications to Congress and Federal agencies
• Statements regarding bill signings and vetoes
• Appointments, nominations
• Reorganization plans
• Resignations
• Retirements
• Acts approved by the President
• Nominations submitted to the Senate
• White House announcements
• Press releases

Suggested Citation Form for the Daily Compilation: Daily Comp. Pres. Docs., 2009 DCPD No. 00001, p. 3.

The citation is to material published in the Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents in the year 2009, in the first document, on page three.

The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents first began in 1965 as a printed pamphlet. Weekly Compilation documents are available as ASCII text and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files. From 1977 onward, all material appearing in the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents and the Daily Compilation is incorporated into the Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States.

As the official handbook of the Federal Government, the United States Government Manual provides comprehensive information on the agencies of the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. It also includes information on quasi-official agencies; international organizations in which the United States participates; and boards, commissions, and committees. The Manual begins with reprints of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

A typical agency description includes:

• A list of officials heading major operating units.
• A summary statement of the agency's purpose and role in the Federal Government.
• A brief history of the agency, including its legislative or executive authority.
• A description of its programs and activities.
• Information, addresses, and phone numbers to help users locate detailed information on consumer activities, contracts and grants, employment, publications, and other matters of public interest.

The Manual is published as a special edition of the Federal Register (see 1 CFR 9.1). Its focus is on programs and activities. Persons interested in detailed organizational structure, the regulatory documents of an agency, or Presidential documents should refer to the Federal Register or one of its other special editions.

FDsys contains the U.S. Government Manual for 1995-96 and all subsequent editions to the present. The new edition of the Manual is available to the Public each year. As of 2011, the Manual is issued in the first quarter of the calendar year and covers one calendar year. Previous editions spanned two calendar years and were available as ASCII text files and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files.