July 16, 2003 -- The number of document titles available through GPO Access (www.gpoaccess.gov), the award-winning Web site of the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), has grown to more than 250,000, marking a significant milestone in the GPO's ongoing effort to expand public access to Government information through online technology.   Begun in 1994 as home to the online editions of the Federal Register and Congressional Record, GPO Access today is a leading online source of free, official information from all three branches of the Federal Government.  The site is transforming the way Americans access information by and about their government.  Since beginning operations, document retrievals from GPO Access have exceeded 1.6 billion.  Today, more than 32 million retrievals are made every month.    "Because of GPO Access, Americans today can obtain Government information 24/7 in their homes, offices, businesses, classrooms, libraries-wherever they use the Internet," said Public Printer of the United States Bruce R. James. "With more than a quarter of a million Federal titles now available to the public online, GPO Access is carrying the GPO's historic commitment to public access forward into the Information Age."     A noteworthy aspect of GPO Access is its unique commitment to Permanent Public Access. This commitment means that every document on the site will remain accessible in perpetuity, and springs from the GPO's shared responsibility for the permanent availability of Government publications in the Federal Depository Library Program (www.gpoaccess.gov/fdlp.html).   Most electronic documents appear on GPO Access the day of publication, exactly as they appear in print, and are the official published version.  Recent high-profile titles added to the GPO Access collection include the electronic filings in the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act Cases, the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003, the first volume of the Public Papers of the Presidents for the Administration of President George W. Bush, the transcripts to Closed-Door McCarthy Hearings Files released by the U.S. Senate, and the Budget of the United States for FY 2004. As part of GPO Access, the GPO hosts the official Web sites of 18 Federal agencies, including the U.S. Supreme Court.    Recognizing and accommodating the various special needs and technological capabilities of the public, GPO Access is designed, developed, and implemented for easy access to free online Federal information products and services. The GPO Access User Support Team provides immediate assistance to customers via e-mail, toll-free phone, and fax.  Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids (http://bensguide. gpo.gov) is an educational component of GPO Access that introduces children and adults alike to the basics of government.