Organizations warn against fast-track of bill to separate copyright office from library of Congress

Organizations warn against fast-track of bill to separate copyright office from library of Congress

Under the bill, the Librarian and Director of the GPO will be appointed by a ‘bipartisan Congressional commission’ and can only be removed from office by a majority vote of the majority and minority leaders of the House of Representatives and the Senate instead of being appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate

Encouraged by reports that house leaders are attempting to fast-track a bill to separate the U.S. Copyright Office from the Library of Congress, an alliance of consumer rights, industry, open internet and library groups has again sent a letter to the House Committee on Administration, urging it to consider the bill on the regular timeline to avoid ‘unintended consequences’.

The bill titled Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act will change procedures for appointing and removing the Librarian of Congress, Director of the Government Publishing Office (GPO) and Register of Copyrights. Under the bill, the Librarian and Director of the GPO will be appointed by a ‘bipartisan Congressional commission’ and can only be removed from office by a majority vote of the majority and minority leaders of the House of Representatives and the Senate instead of being appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

The Library of Congress’s supervisory authority over the Copyright Office will also be removed by the bill which requires the Register of Copyrights to be: a U.S. citizen with a background and experience in copyright law; and appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate instead of being appointed by the Librarian. The term of office of the Copyright Register will also be limited to 10 years, with the likelihood of reappointment. An alliance of consumer rights, industry, open internet and library groups – Re:Create – first sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson and the House Administration Committee on December 11, 2025, urging committee members to slow down their consideration of the bill, citing reports that “the House is considering swift passage… possibly on the suspension calendar or through other expedient means”.

Re:Create, joined by seven other organizations, in its second and latest letter reportedly said that “[S]ince we first raised these concerns in December 2025, there have been no hearings on the bill in this committee or any committee of jurisdiction. It is no more ripe for swift passage now than it was then”.

The organizations have warned that separating the Library and Copyright Office could threaten the Copyright Office’s ability to maintain the registration system and “provide unbiased policy guidance on copyright and related issues….” They added that: “It would be a grave mistake to take such dramatic action outside of regular order”. The Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act was introduced by Representative H. Morgan Griffith (R-VA) at the same time a lawsuit was brought by the Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter and the suit is pending in district court and an appeal to that suit by the Trump Administration is on hold at the Supreme Court. A split panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled in September that Perlmutter can resume office while her lawsuit plays out, after President Donald Trump’s decision to remove her from her post.