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 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.
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.
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.
In the interest of compiling all the information in one place, Billboard 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.
We’re keeping track of developments for each piece of proposed legislation, and this list will update as bills move through the House and Senate. We’ll also add new bills as they’re introduced and tell you why they matter for the music business.
-
RAP Act
First introduced in 2022, the Restoring Artistic Protection (RAP) Act aims to limit the use of rap lyrics in federal prosecutions. It’s long been controversial to cite lyrics as evidence of a crime, but the prosecutorial strategy has received a spotlight in recent years as it’s been wielded against high-profile rappers like Young Thug, Gunna and Lil Durk.
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.
Co-sponsored by Reps. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) and Sydney Kamlager-Dove (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. -
NO FAKES Act
The Nurture Originals, Foster Art and Keep Entertainment Safe (NO FAKES) Act is Congress’ attempt to protect artists from artificial intelligence (AI) deepfakes. This legislation would turn a person’s digital likeness into a form of intellectual property, allowing artists to license out these rights and sue those that publish deepfakes without their consent.
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 – and tech giants including YouTube are now on board as supporters. It’s been referred to both chambers’ Judiciary Committees.
The music industry’s major players have supported NO FAKES, including the Recording Academy, RIAA, WMG, UMG and Sony. The bills are sponsored in the Senate by Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Thom T (R-N.C.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.); and in the House by Rep. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.), Madeleine Dean (D-Penn.) Nathaniel Moran (R-Tex.), Becca Balint (D-Vt.) and Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.). -
American Music Tourism Act
The 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.
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.
The bills were introduced in the Senate by Blackburn and Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), and in the House by Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-Tenn.) and Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.). It’s 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. -
American Music Fairness Act
Legislators 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.
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 – 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’ Judiciary Committees.
The American Music Fairness act is co-sponsored in the Senate by Blackburn, Tillis and Sens. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and in the House by Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.). It’s supported by the Recording Academy, RIAA, SoundExchange and the American Federation of Musicians. -
MAIN Event Ticketing Act
The Mitigating Automated Internet Networks (MAIN) for Event Ticketing Act, initially introduced in 2023, aims to beef up enforcement of President Obama’s Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act.
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 – meaning it now heads to the Senate floor – and it’s under consideration by the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
The bills are sponsored in the Senate by Blackburn and Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), and in the House by Harshbarger and Rep. Troy A. Carter Sr. (D-La.). They’ve garnered support from the Recording Academy, RIAA, Live Nation and the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA). -
TICKET Act
The 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’s full price, including fees and taxes, before checkout.
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’s now headed to the Senate floor.
The bills were introduced in the Senate by Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.) and in the House by Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.). Supporters include the Recording Academy, NIVA, Live Nation, Vivid Seats and StubHub. -
Protecting Outdoor Concerts Act
First 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.
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. Raul Ruiz (D-Calif.) and it’s been referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Ruiz, whose district includes California’s 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.