{"id":7665,"date":"2025-09-04T22:00:07","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T22:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatrustedlawyers.com\/blog\/music-related-bills-before-congress-now-full-list-of-legislation\/"},"modified":"2025-09-04T22:00:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T22:00:07","slug":"music-related-bills-before-congress-now-full-list-of-legislation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatrustedlawyers.com\/blog\/music-related-bills-before-congress-now-full-list-of-legislation\/","title":{"rendered":"Music-Related Bills Before Congress Now: Full List of Legislation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<!-- do not apply CSS styles to this element! --><\/p>\n<div class=\"pmc-not-a-paywall\">\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t<span>A<\/span>s lawmakers return to Washington, D.C. from their August recess this week, there are a handful of pending bills being closely watched by the music industry. These pieces of federal legislation could affect artists, consumers and companies across many different areas of the business, including songwriting, licensing, tourism, royalties, ticketing and live performances. <br \/>\u00a0<br \/>Many of these bills have bipartisan support from both Democrats and Republicans in Congress, and industry players have been heavily involved in advocating for their passage: The Recording Academy and Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) have signed onto many of them, as have corporate giants like the major record labels and Live Nation. \u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>The legislative process is long and at times difficult to decipher. Many bills get introduced more than once over the years, often with different versions in the Senate and House of Representatives. There are committee reviews, hearings and revisions before a bill makes it to the floor for a congressional vote and, eventually if passed, the desk of the president to be signed into law. \u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>In the interest of compiling all the information in one place, <em>Billboard <\/em>has put together a list of all the music-related legislation currently before the 119th Congress. Below, you can read about the history behind each bill, who supports it and what impact it would have on the industry. \u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>We\u2019re keeping track of developments for each piece of proposed legislation, and this list will update as bills move through the House and Senate. We\u2019ll also add new bills as they\u2019re introduced and tell you why they matter for the music business. \u00a0<\/p>\n<div id=\"pmc-gallery-vertical\">\n<div class=\"c-gallery-vertical-loader u-gallery-app-shell-loader\">\n<ul class=\"pmc-fallback-list-items lrv-a-unstyle-list lrv-u-margin-t-2\">\n<li class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item-wrap lrv-u-margin-b-2\">\n<article class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item\">\n<h2>RAP Act\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>\t<!-- do not apply CSS styles to this element! --><\/p>\n<div class=\"pmc-not-a-paywall\">\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\tFirst introduced in 2022, the Restoring Artistic Protection (RAP) Act aims to limit the use of rap lyrics in federal prosecutions. It\u2019s long been controversial to cite lyrics as evidence of a crime, but the prosecutorial strategy has received a spotlight in recent years as it\u2019s been wielded against high-profile rappers like Young Thug, Gunna and Lil Durk. \u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>The RAP Act was reintroduced in 2023 and then again in the House this past July, after which it was referred to the House Judiciary Committee.\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>Co-sponsored by Reps. <strong>Hank Johnson<\/strong> (D-Ga.) and <strong>Sydney Kamlager-Dove<\/strong> (D-Calif.), the RAP Act has wide support within the music industry. The Recording Academy and RIAA have thrown their weight behind the bill, as have Warner Music Group (WMG), Universal Music Group (UMG) and Live Nation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item-wrap lrv-u-margin-b-2\">\n<article class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item\">\n<h2>NO FAKES Act<\/h2>\n<p>\t<!-- do not apply CSS styles to this element! --><\/p>\n<div class=\"pmc-not-a-paywall\">\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t<span>T<\/span>he Nurture Originals, Foster Art and Keep Entertainment Safe (NO FAKES) Act is Congress\u2019 attempt to protect artists from artificial intelligence (AI) deepfakes. This legislation would turn a person\u2019s digital likeness into a form of intellectual property, allowing artists to license out these rights and sue those that publish deepfakes without their consent.\u00a0\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>The NO FAKES Act was first introduced in 2024 and then revamped this past April. The updated version of the bill in both the House and Senate includes additional notice and takedown provisions that could insulate hosting platforms from liability \u2013 and tech giants including YouTube are now on board as supporters. It\u2019s been referred to both chambers\u2019 Judiciary Committees. \u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>The music industry\u2019s major players have supported NO FAKES, including the Recording Academy, RIAA, WMG, UMG and Sony. The bills are sponsored in the Senate by Sens. <strong>Marsha Blackburn<\/strong> (R-Tenn.), <strong>Chris Coons<\/strong> (D-Del.), <strong>Thom T<\/strong> (R-N.C.) and <strong>Amy Klobuchar<\/strong> (D-Minn.); and in the House by Rep. <strong>Mar\u00eda Elvira Salazar<\/strong> (R-Fla.), <strong>Madeleine Dean<\/strong> (D-Penn.) <strong>Nathaniel Moran<\/strong> (R-Tex.), <strong>Becca Balint<\/strong> (D-Vt.) and <strong>Joe Morelle<\/strong> (D-N.Y.).\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item-wrap lrv-u-margin-b-2\">\n<article class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item\">\n<h2>American Music Tourism Act\u00a0\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>\t<!-- do not apply CSS styles to this element! --><\/p>\n<div class=\"pmc-not-a-paywall\">\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t<span>T<\/span>he American Music Tourism Act was first introduced in 2024 and returned to Congress this past January. The proposed legislation aims to boost music-related travel and tourism in the U.S. by directing the Department of Commerce to make a plan for the promotion of sites like Graceland and the Grammy Museum.\u00a0\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>These bills have broad support in both chambers of Congress. Versions passed the House in April and the Senate in May. Now, the two chambers must agree on a single final version before sending the bill to President Donald Trump for his signature.\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>The bills were introduced in the Senate by Blackburn and Sen. <strong>John Hickenlooper<\/strong> (D-Colo.), and in the House by Rep. <strong>Diana Harshbarger<\/strong> (R-Tenn.) and <strong>Nanette Barrag\u00e1n<\/strong> (D-Calif.). It\u2019s supported by industry organizations like the Recording Academy, RIAA and National Music Publishers association (NMPA), plus famed music sites the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Memphis Music Hall of Fame.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item-wrap lrv-u-margin-b-2\">\n<article class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item\">\n<h2>American Music Fairness Act\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>\t<!-- do not apply CSS styles to this element! --><\/p>\n<div class=\"pmc-not-a-paywall\">\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t<span>L<\/span>egislators and music industry players have been trying for decades to pass a law requiring terrestrial radio stations to pay performance royalties to artists and record labels. The latest version of this proposed law was introduced in 2021 as the American Music Fairness Act, which has since been re-introduced twice.\u00a0\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>Most recently brought back to both the House and Senate this past January, the bills aim to close a loophole that allows AM\/FM radio stations in the U.S. to only pay publishing royalties \u2013 unlike satellite radio stations and online streamers, which have to compensate both songwriters and performers when they plan a track. The bills have been referred to both chambers\u2019 Judiciary Committees.\u00a0\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>The American Music Fairness act is co-sponsored in the Senate by Blackburn, Tillis and Sens. <strong>Alex Padilla<\/strong> (D-Calif.) and <strong>Cory Booker<\/strong> (D-N.J.), and in the House by Reps. <strong>Darrell<\/strong> <strong>Issa<\/strong> (R-Calif.) and <strong>Jerry Nadler<\/strong> (D-N.Y.). It\u2019s supported by the Recording Academy, RIAA, SoundExchange and the American Federation of Musicians.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item-wrap lrv-u-margin-b-2\">\n<article class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item\">\n<h2>MAIN Event Ticketing Act\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>\t<!-- do not apply CSS styles to this element! --><\/p>\n<div class=\"pmc-not-a-paywall\">\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t<span>T<\/span>he Mitigating Automated Internet Networks (MAIN) for Event Ticketing Act, initially introduced in 2023, aims to beef up enforcement of President Obama\u2019s Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act.\u00a0\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>This legislation would create new reporting and security requirements for online ticket sellers to combat automated bots that jump the line ahead of human buyers. Bills were reintroduced in the Senate in January and the House in April. The proposed legislation has been approved by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation \u2013 meaning it now heads to the Senate floor \u2013\u00a0and it\u2019s under consideration by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>The bills are sponsored in the Senate by Blackburn and Sen. <strong>Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n<\/strong> (D-N.M.), and in the House by Harshbarger and Rep. <strong>Troy A. Carter Sr.<\/strong> (D-La.). They\u2019ve garnered support from the Recording Academy, RIAA, Live Nation and the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA).\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item-wrap lrv-u-margin-b-2\">\n<article class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item\">\n<h2>TICKET Act\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>\t<!-- do not apply CSS styles to this element! --><\/p>\n<div class=\"pmc-not-a-paywall\">\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t<span>T<\/span>he Transparency in Charges for Key Events Ticketing (TICKET) Act was first introduced in 2023 with the aim of reforming the ticket-buying process for concertgoers. The proposed legislation would increase pricing transparency by requiring event promoters to clearly and prominently display a ticket\u2019s full price, including fees and taxes, before checkout. \u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>The legislation passed the House in 2024 but died at the end of the 118th congressional term. Versions were reintroduced in the Senate in January and the House in February, and it passed the House again in April. The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation approved its bill the same month, and it\u2019s now headed to the Senate floor.\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>The bills were introduced in the Senate by Sens. <strong>Ed Markey<\/strong> (D-Mass.) and <strong>Eric Schmitt<\/strong> (R-Mo.) and in the House by Reps. <strong>Jan Schakowsky<\/strong>\u00a0(<strong>D-Ill.) <\/strong>and <strong>Gus Bilirakis <\/strong>(R-Fla.). Supporters include the Recording Academy, NIVA, Live Nation, Vivid Seats and StubHub. \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item-wrap lrv-u-margin-b-2\">\n<article class=\"pmc-fallback-list-item\">\n<h2>Protecting Outdoor Concerts Act\u00a0<\/h2>\n<p>\t<!-- do not apply CSS styles to this element! --><\/p>\n<div class=\"pmc-not-a-paywall\">\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/ lrv-u-margin-lr-auto  lrv-a-font-body-m   \">\n\t<span>F<\/span>irst introduced in 2021 and re-introduced again twice in the years since, the Protecting Outdoor Concerts Act would create an avenue for the Federal Aviation Administration to restrict the airspace around outdoor music festivals and concerts.\u00a0\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>Right now, the law allows major sporting events to apply for these sorts of low-flying plane restrictions, but organizers of music events cannot do the same. The bill was most recently introduced to the House in April by Rep. <strong>Raul Ruiz<\/strong> (D-Calif.) and it\u2019s been referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.\u00a0<br \/>\u00a0<br \/>Ruiz, whose district includes California\u2019s Coachella Valley, has cited safety risks from airplanes flying too low around the Coachella and Stagecoach music festivals. The proposed legislation has support from AEG, which puts on both of those festivals.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" id=\"Layer_1\" data-name=\"Layer 1\" version=\"1.1\" viewbox=\"0 0 702.8 85.2\"><defs\/><path d=\"M63 84.2h19.2V26H63zM86.2 84.2h19.1v-81H86.2zM109.3 84.2h19.2v-81h-19.2zM334.8 32v-6h-19.2v58.3h19.2V56.5c0-7.1 3.7-11 10.5-11h2.3V25.4c-5.8.2-10 2-12.8 6.6M72.6 0c-6.1 0-11.1 5-11.1 11.1s5 11.1 11.1 11.1 11.1-5 11.1-11.1S78.8 0 72.6 0M292.5 30.4c-2.7-2.9-9-5.4-13.7-5.4-14.5 0-24.9 9.5-27.4 23.7-2.8-13.6-14.6-24.1-29.1-24.1s-26.6 10.6-29.2 24.5c-2.5-14.4-13.9-24-27.9-24s-9.5 1.1-13.3 3.7V3.2h-19.2v81.1h18.8V79c4.5 4.2 9.4 6.1 15.4 6.1 12.9 0 23.8-10.1 26.2-24.1 2.7 13.7 14.5 24.1 29.1 24.1s26-10.2 29-23.5c2.4 14.6 14 23.7 27.7 23.7s10-1.6 13.5-4.2v3.3h19.2V26.1h-19.2v4.3ZM163.1 66.5c-6.1 0-11.1-5-11.1-11.1s5-11.1 11.1-11.1 11.1 5 11.1 11.1-5 11.1-11.1 11.1m59.1-.9c-6.1 0-11.1-5-11.1-11.1s5-11.1 11.1-11.1 11.1 5 11.1 11.1-5 11.1-11.1 11.1m57.6.4c-6.1 0-11.1-5-11.1-11.1s5-11.1 11.1-11.1 11.1 5 11.1 11.1-5 11.1-11.1 11.1M390.1 3.1v25.7c-3.7-2.6-8.1-3.7-13.3-3.7-16 0-28.5 12.4-28.5 30.2S360.3 85 375 85s10.9-1.9 15.4-6.1v5.3h18.8V3.1H390Zm-11.3 63.3c-6.1 0-11.1-5-11.1-11.1s5-11.1 11.1-11.1 11.1 5 11.1 11.1-5 11.1-11.1 11.1M32.4 25.2c-5.2 0-9.5 1.1-13.3 3.7V3.2H0v81.1h18.8V79c4.5 4.2 9.4 6.1 15.4 6.1 14.6 0 26.7-12.9 26.7-29.7S48.4 25.2 32.4 25.2m-2 41.3c-6.1 0-11.1-5-11.1-11.1s5-11.1 11.1-11.1 11.1 5 11.1 11.1-5 11.1-11.1 11.1M702.8 83.2v-79H424v79.1h278.8ZM515.7 35.5c0 13.9-10.7 18.3-26 18.3h-25.6v16.4H442v-53h47.8c15.2 0 26 4.4 26 18.2Zm78.9 0c0 9.3-5.9 14.5-14.2 16.8l19.1 18h-28.1l-17-16.4h-11.3v16.4H521V17.2h47.8c15.2 0 26 4.4 26 18.2Zm92.3 8.3c0 18.2-18.3 27.8-44.2 27.8s-44.2-9.6-44.2-27.8c0-18.3 18.3-27.9 44.2-27.9s44.2 9.6 44.2 27.8Zm-22.8 0c0-9.3-9.9-13.9-21.4-13.9s-21.4 4.7-21.4 13.9 9.9 13.9 21.4 13.9 21.4-4.7 21.4-13.8Zm-92.3-8.3c0-3.3-2.4-5-7.4-5h-21.3v10.1h21.3c5.1 0 7.4-1.8 7.4-5.1m-78.9 0c0-3.3-2.4-5-7.4-5h-21.4v10.1h21.4c5 0 7.4-1.8 7.4-5.1\" class=\"cls-11\"\/><\/svg>\t\t<span class=\"lrv-a-screen-reader-only\"\/><\/p>\n<p class=\"c-tagline  a-font-accent-l@desktop u-font-size-1205 a-font-accent-xs@mobile-max u-font-size-15@mobile-max u-line-height-22px@mobile-max lrv-u-text-align-center@mobile-max u-letter-spacing-0030@mobile-max lrv-u-padding-t-025 lrv-u-margin-a-00 u-padding-t-0125@mobile-max u-padding-b-0063@mobile-max lrv-u-color-grey-dark lrv-u-text-align-center@mobile-max\">Daily newsletters straight to your inbox<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"c-link  lrv-a-unstyle-button lrv-u-cursor-pointer lrv-u-display-inline-flex lrv-u-background-color-brand-primary lrv-u-background-color-grey-dark:hover lrv-u-color-grey-dark lrv-u-color-brand-primary:hover u-padding-lr-0.875 u-padding-tb-10 lrv-u-flex-shrink-0 u-align-items-center a-font-basic-fancy-xs u-margin-t-0.188 u-margin-b-0188 u-margin-b-040@mobile-max\" href=\"https:\/\/cloud.email.billboard.com\/signup\/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n\tSign Up<\/a>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As lawmakers return to Washington, D.C. from their August recess this week, there are a handful of pending bills being closely watched by the music industry. These pieces [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7666,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[1922,367,1087,4710,2893,6726],"class_list":["post-7665","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lawyers","tag-bills","tag-congress","tag-full","tag-legislation","tag-list","tag-musicrelated"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usatrustedlawyers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7665","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usatrustedlawyers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usatrustedlawyers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usatrustedlawyers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usatrustedlawyers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7665"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usatrustedlawyers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7665\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usatrustedlawyers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7666"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usatrustedlawyers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7665"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usatrustedlawyers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7665"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usatrustedlawyers.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7665"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}