Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act

Key Points

• The bill shifts hiring and firing power for the Librarian of Congress from the President to a bipartisan congressional commission. Committee leaders would recommend three candidates, and top House and Senate leaders would pick from that list by majority vote.
• The same commission-based appointment and removal process applies to the Director of the Government Publishing Office, removing the Senate confirmation requirement and giving Congress direct control over that agency's leadership.
• The Copyright Office would become independent from the Library of Congress. The Register of Copyrights would be appointed by the President with Senate confirmation for a 10-year term, and would take over many authorities currently held by the Librarian of Congress.
• A new Inspector General would be established specifically for the Copyright Office, separate from the Library of Congress Inspector General, to provide independent oversight of copyright operations.
• The Government Publishing Office would create a new merit-based human capital management system for its workers, requiring that employees be hired and promoted based on merit and fitness, with protections against prohibited personnel practices.
• The bill ratifies all actions taken by the Copyright Office, Register of Copyrights, Copyright Royalty Judges, and Copyright Claims Board since May 8, 2025, giving them full legal force retroactively.