§ 135a. — Books and soundreproduction records for blind and other physically handicapped residents; annual appropriations; purchases.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 2USC135a]
TITLE 2--THE CONGRESS
CHAPTER 5--LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
Sec. 135a. Books and sound-reproduction records for blind and
other physically handicapped residents; annual appropriations;
purchases
There is authorized to be appropriated annually to the Library of
Congress, in addition to appropriations otherwise made to said Library,
such sums for expenditure under the direction of the Librarian of
Congress as may be necessary to provide books published either in raised
characters, on sound-reproduction recordings or in any other form, and
for purchase, maintenance, and replacement of reproducers for such
sound-reproduction recordings, for the use of the blind and for other
physically handicapped residents of the United States, including the
several States, Territories, insular possessions, and the District of
Columbia, all of which books, recordings, and reproducers will remain
the property of the Library of Congress but will be loaned to blind and
to other physically handicapped readers certified by competent authority
as unable to read normal printed material as a result of physical
limitations, under regulations prescribed by the Librarian of Congress
for this service. In the purchase of books in either raised characters
or in sound-reproduction recordings the Librarian of Congress, without
reference to the provisions of section 5 of title 41, shall give
preference to nonprofit-making institutions or agencies whose activities
are primarily concerned with the blind and with other physically
handicapped persons, in all cases where the prices or bids submitted by
such institutions or agencies are, by said Librarian, under all the
circumstances and needs involved, determined to be fair and reasonable.
(Mar. 3, 1931, ch. 400, Sec. 1, 46 Stat. 1487; Mar. 4, 1933, ch. 279, 47
Stat. 1570; June 14, 1935, ch. 242, Sec. 1, 49 Stat. 374; Apr. 23, 1937,
ch. 125, Sec. 1, 50 Stat. 72; June 7, 1939, ch. 191, 53 Stat. 812; June
6, 1940, ch. 255, 54 Stat. 245; Oct. 1, 1942, ch. 575, Sec. 1, 56 Stat.
764; June 13, 1944, ch. 246, Sec. 1, 58 Stat. 276; Aug. 8, 1946, ch.
868, Sec. 1, 60 Stat. 908; July 3, 1952, ch. 566, 66 Stat. 326; Pub. L.
85-308, Sec. 1, Sept. 7, 1957, 71 Stat. 630; Pub. L. 89-522, Sec. 1,
July 30, 1966, 80 Stat. 330.)
Amendments
1966--Pub. L. 89-522 amended section generally, extending
availability of books and materials under this section by authorizing
their loan to other physically handicapped residents, in addition to
blind persons, certified by competent authority as unable to read normal
printed material as a result of physical limitations.
1957--Pub. L. 85-308 authorized annual appropriation of necessary
sums in lieu of provisions which limited annual appropriation to
$1,125,000, and struck out limitation of $200,000 on amount of
appropriated funds to be expended annually for books in raised
characters.
1952--Act July 3, 1952, included children within its provisions as
well as adults.
1946--Act Aug. 8, 1946, increased annual appropriation from $500,000
to $1,125,000.
1944--Act June 13, 1944, increased annual appropriation from
$370,000 to $500,000, the amount allocated to sound-reproduction records
from $250,000 to $400,000, and struck out provision allocating $20,000
to maintenance and replacement of Government-owned reproducers.
1942--Act Oct. 1, 1942, substituted ``$370,000'' for ``$350,000'',
and inserted clause at end of first sentence relating to expenditure of
not exceeding $20,000 for maintenance and replacement of reproducers for
sound-reproduction records.
1940--Act June 6, 1940, substituted ``$350,000'' for ``$275,000''
and ``$250,000'' for ``$175,000''.
1939--Act June 7, 1939, inserted last sentence.
1937--Act Apr. 23, 1937, substituted ``$275,000'' for ``$175,000''
in two places and ``$175,000'' for ``$75,000''.
1935--Act June 14, 1935, substituted ``$175,000'' for ``$100,000''
and inserted provision that $100,000 of the $175,000 annual
appropriation be expended for books in raised characters and the balance
for sound-reproduction records.
1933--Act Mar. 4, 1933, inserted ``published either in raised
characters, on sound-reproduction records, or in any other form''.
Effective Date of 1957 Amendment
Section 2 of Pub. L. 85-308 provided that: ``This Act [amending this
section] shall be applicable with respect to the fiscal year ending June
30, 1958, and for each fiscal year thereafter.''
Effective Date of 1946 Amendment
Section 2 of act Aug. 8, 1946, provided: ``This Act [amending this
section] shall be applicable with respect to the fiscal year ending June
30, 1947, and for each fiscal year thereafter.''
Effective Date of 1944 Amendment
Section 2 of act June 13, 1944, provided: ``This Act [amending this
section] shall be applicable with respect to the fiscal year ending June
30, 1945, and for each fiscal year thereafter.''
Effective Date of 1942 Amendment
Section 2 of act Oct. 1, 1942, provided: ``This Act [amending this
section] shall be applicable with respect to the fiscal year ending June
30, 1943, and for each fiscal year thereafter.''
Effective Date of 1937 Amendment
Section 2 of act Apr. 23, 1937, provided that: ``This Act [amending
this section] shall be applicable with respect to the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1938, and for each fiscal year thereafter.''
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in section 135b of this title; title 17
section 121; title 39 section 3403.
