The Federal Register and the Electronic Public Inspection Desk Archives

The Federal Register and the Electronic Public Inspection Desk

The Office of the Federal Register has created an Electronic Public Inspection Desk to provide free worldwide electronic access to public documents. For the first time in the 72-year existence of the daily Federal Register, advance copies of notices, proposed rules and final regulations are available before they are actually published in the traditional paperback version of the Federal Register.
To view these documents, go to www.federalregister.gov. See “View Documents on Public Inspection" on the left hand side. This new desk grants the public access to documents that will be published in the next day’s Federal Register as early at 8:45 a.m. ET. Previously, such documents could only be seen by viewing the documents physically located at the Office of the Federal Register in Washington, DC.

Citizens across the country no longer need depend upon representatives in Washington, DC, to gain access to this material. The Electronic Public Inspection Desk has leveled the playing field in the competition for access to information.