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.

Votes

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Related Bills

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