The Federal Register maintains an unofficial XML-based prototype of its daily publications on FederalRegister.gov, a digital resource intended to provide accessible regulatory information while awaiting official legal status from the Administrative Committee of the Federal Register (ACFR).
Digital Information Resources
The Office of the Federal Register (OFR) and the Government Publishing Office (GPO) have established a partnership to present regulatory information through the FederalRegister.gov platform. According to the Federal Register, the site offers XML renditions of published documents, which are intended to serve as an informational resource for the public.
Legal Status and Verification
While the website provides a digital interface for browsing, the current XML version is not an official legal edition. The Federal Register stated that this prototype version does not replace the official print or official electronic versions available via GPO's govinfo.gov. Consequently, the XML rendition on FederalRegister.gov does not provide legal notice to the public or judicial notice to the courts until the ACFR issues a regulation granting it official legal status.
Future Regulatory Goals
The OFR/GPO partnership has expressed a commitment to presenting accurate and reliable regulatory information through this digital medium. The ultimate objective of the collaboration is to establish the XML-based Federal Register as an official, ACFR-sanctioned publication in the future.
Research and Verification
Users conducting legal research are advised to verify their results against an official edition of the Federal Register. The agency noted that while every effort is made to ensure the material on FederalRegister.gov is accurately displayed and consistent with the official SGML-based PDF versions on govinfo.gov, the current prototype remains unofficial.
Documented Agency Notices
The Federal Register documentation includes various notices, such as agency information collection activities and notices from the Department of Homeland Security. One specific entry identified in the records is a notice regarding Agency Information Collection Activities: 1670-0048: SAFECOM Nationwide Surveys Generic Clearance, issued by the Homeland Security Department.
Immigration and Agency Notices
Additional documents within the registry include notices from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. One such notice pertains to the termination of the designation of Haiti for Temporary Protected Status, as recorded on pages 54733-54739 of the registry.
Digital Evolution
The Federal Register continues to operate its informational prototype while working toward official legal recognition. This digital evolution aims to modernize how the public accesses and interacts with federal regulatory information and agency notices.
