Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
The bill amends Title 17 to create a public performance right for sound recordings in “audio transmissions,” explicitly including terrestrial (AM/FM) broadcasts under the statutory licensing framework. It directs the Copyright Royalty Judges to set rates for nonsubscription broadcast transmissions effective on enactment through December 31, 2028, with five-year repeats; establishes very low flat annual fees for qualifying small broadcasters; adjusts definitions and distribution rules for certain royalties; preserves songwriters’ rights; and instructs judges to consider promotional value when setting rates.
Progressives emphasize artist compensation and parity
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a clearly targeted statutory rewrite that largely supplies the specific legal language needed to extend performance-right coverage to terrestrial broadcasts, set royalty procedures and small-broadcaster exceptions, and adjust distribution rules.
The bill amends Title 17 to create a public performance right for sound recordings in “audio transmissions,” explicitly including terrestrial (AM/FM) broadcasts under the statutory licensing framework.
It directs the Copyright Royalty Judges to set rates for nonsubscription broadcast transmissions effective on enactment through December 31, 2028, with five-year repeats; establishes very low flat annual fees for qualifying small broadcasters; adjusts definitions and distribution rules for certain royalties; preserves songwriters’ rights; and instructs judges to consider promotional value when setting rates.
Substantive redistribution of royalties is controversial; small-station concessions help but significant opposition from broadcasters and uncertain fiscal effects lower prospects.
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a clearly targeted statutory rewrite that largely supplies the specific legal language needed to extend performance-right coverage to terrestrial broadcasts, set royalty procedures and small-broadcaster exceptions, and adjust distribution rules. It demonstrates strong legal integration and mechanism specificity but provides limited explicit fiscal acknowledgment and only moderate detail on enforcement, audit, and broader edge-case management.
Progressives emphasize artist compensation and parity
These are examples from the analysis, not a ranked list of the most-affected groups.
Progressives emphasize artist compensation and parity
Likely supportive overall: the bill extends pay-for-play to recording artists and creates parity between terrestrial and digital services.
Supporters will praise small-broadcaster fee caps and the explicit protection for songwriters, while watching distribution rules and judge rate-setting closely.
Cautiously favorable: the bill addresses longstanding artist compensation concerns while including small-broadcaster protections and periodic review.
Centrists will emphasize careful rate-setting, fiscal impacts on local stations, and clear implementation rules to avoid unintended consequences.
Likely opposed: the bill expands federal copyright obligations to terrestrial radio, imposing new fees and regulatory requirements.
While small-broadcaster caps mitigate impact, conservatives will view this as government-driven cost increases and potential interference with local media markets.
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Reached or meaningfully advanced
Still ahead
Still ahead
Still ahead
Substantive redistribution of royalties is controversial; small-station concessions help but significant opposition from broadcasters and uncertain fiscal effects lower prospects.
The bill has not accumulated any surfaced votes yet.
Progressives emphasize artist compensation and parity
Substantive redistribution of royalties is controversial; small-station concessions help but significant opposition from broadcasters and u…
Relative to its intended legislative type, this bill is a clearly targeted statutory rewrite that largely supplies the specific legal language needed to extend performance-right coverage to terrestrial broadcasts, set r…
Go beyond the headline summary with full stakeholder mapping, legislative design analysis, passage barriers, and lens-by-lens tradeoff breakdowns.