Pro Codes Act of 2026
Sen. Coons Introduces Bipartisan Pro Codes Act to Protect Copyrights on Public Safety Standards
The Pro Codes Act of 2026 is currently in the early stages of the legislative process. It was recently introduced in the Senate and sent to the Committee on the Judiciary for review. There are no upcoming votes scheduled at this time.
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- This bill confirms that private organizations can keep their copyright on technical standards (like building codes and safety rules) even after those standards are adopted into law by federal, state, or local governments.
From policy text
“A standard to which copyright protection subsists under section 102(a) at the time of its fixation shall retain such protection, notwithstanding that the standard is incorporated by reference”
View in full text - To keep that copyright, the organizations must post the full text of any standard that has been written into law online for free, in a searchable format that meets federal accessibility standards for people with disabilities.
From policy text
“makes all portions of the standard so incorporated publicly accessible online at no monetary cost and in a format that includes a searchable table of contents and index, or equivalent aids to facilitate the location of specific content”
View in full text - Organizations can require users to create an account to view the standards, but they cannot use or sell personal information without clear consent from the user.
From policy text
“no personally identifiable information collected pursuant to such a requirement is used without the affirmative and express consent of the user”
View in full text - This change would affect more than 23,000 sections of federal regulations and many state and local laws that reference private standards instead of writing technical rules from scratch.
From policy text
“resulting in more than 23,000 sections in the Code of Federal Regulations that incorporate by reference technical and voluntary consensus standards”
View in full text - The bill is designed to protect the funding model that allows these organizations to develop and update standards at no cost to taxpayers, while also ensuring the public can read laws they are required to follow.
From policy text
“Congress intends to balance the goals of furthering the creation of standards and ensuring public access to standards that are incorporated by reference into law or regulation”
View in full text
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Milestones
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in Senate
Related News
2 articles
Bipartisan Pro Codes Act Introduced in Senate to Protect Safety Standards
Bipartisan legislation aimed at protecting the integrity of safety standards was introduced in the U.S. Senate. The Pro Codes Act (S. 4145) seeks to reaffirm copyright protections for safety standards developed by independent organizations when those standards are incorporated into law.
Access to building codes at center of industry tussle
The Pro Codes Act strikes a balance between enabling public access and ensuring copyrights are protected. However, for facilities managers, losing access to codes in searchable third-party tools could raise costs and make compliance more difficult.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Pro Codes Act of 2026
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(3)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.