Quick Guide to GPO ACCESS

Use GPO Access to locate the full-text of many types of congressional materials, regulatory publications, and selected agency reports.

List of Databases Online via GPO ACCESS

Specialized search pages

Basic Search Procedures

Build a search using boolean logic. See sample searches below. Note that this database is case specific; proper names must be capitalized and boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT, ADJ) must be capitalized or they will be considered stop words.

To search for a known Bill: h.r. ADJ 270 or "h.r. 270"

To search for a regulation by keyword and date: lead ADJ paint AND register ADJ june ADJ 14

To truncate a term: librar*

To search for statement in Cong. Record: Ms ADJ Mikulski AND transportation OR highway

To select the source (Federal Register, Congressional Bills, CFR, Congressional Record, etc.) to be searched:

Use pull down "Edit" menu

Select "Select Sources"

Highlight the databases to be searches

Click on the "Select" button

Click on OK

To execute the search click on "Submit".

View list of documents. The list of documents is arranged by "Relevance Ranking", most relevant document to least relevant document established by the frequency of the search term or terms within the document.

Highlight the document you want to view and hit or click the mouse button twice. You will be asked which view preference you want; select "Text" for the quickest reponse.

To print use the pull down "Edit" menu and select "Print". Select "All" if you want the entire document printed or "Select" for a portion of the document.