A Republican bill with 4 Republican cosponsors · See all 4 cosponsors
Last activity — Received in the Senate.
Passed one chamber, waiting for the other to take it up
Passed one chamber, and the other has not yet sent it to a committee or put it on its calendar.
The other chamber will hand it to a committee, place it on its calendar, or leave it where it is. Nothing has been decided, and a bill can sit here indefinitely.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- Passed House voice vote
- Awaiting Senate
The House by voice vote (members called out yes or no together): no member's position on it was recorded.
What this bill would do
The bill modifies how certain legislative branch officers, including the Librarian of Congress and the Director of the Government Publishing Office, are appointed and removed. It changes the appointment process to involve a congressional commission and leadership votes rather than traditional Senate confirmation for these specific roles. The legislation separates the Copyright Office from the Library of Congress, establishing it as a more independent entity with its own Inspector General. It also sets qualification requirements and terms for the Register of Copyrights. Finally, it updates personnel systems and print requirements for the Government Publishing Office.
Yes
- Scored +2
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
The bill enhances oversight by establishing an independent Office of Inspector General for the Copyright Office.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Independent Oversight: Establishing an independent Office of Inspector General within the Copyright Office, as outlined in Section 6(c), helps ensure proper oversight, financial integrity, and accountability within the office without interference from supervisors.
- Clear Qualifications: Setting specific background, experience, and citizenship requirements for the Register of Copyrights in Section 6(b) helps ensure that qualified individuals are chosen to handle federal copyright laws.
- Merit-Based Employment: Requiring the Government Publishing Office to establish a human capital management system based on merit principles and prohibiting prohibited personnel practices under Section 8(b) protects employees and promotes fair hiring.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Law Enforcement Authority Burdens: Section 6(c) grants specific law enforcement powers, including making arrests and carrying firearms, to certain special agents within the Copyright Office Inspector General's office, which could be viewed as an expansion of policing powers within a legislative agency.
- Removal Vulnerability: Section 2(a) and Section 4(a) allow top legislative leaders to remove the Librarian of Congress and the Director of the Government Publishing Office by a majority vote at any time, which could create instability in these leadership roles.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill enhances oversight by establishing an independent Office of Inspector General for the Copyright Office.
- 6/9/2026
- Received in the Senate.
- 6/8/2026
- Reported (Amended) by the Committee on House Administration. H. Rept. 119-689, Part I.
- Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3938-3942)
- On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3938-3942)
- DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 6028.
- Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H3938-3943)
- Mr. Griffith moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- 5/14/2026
- Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 11 - 0.
- 3/16/2026
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 3/12/2026
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 11/12/2025
- Referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committees on the Judiciary, and Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Mike CareyRepublican · Ohio
Barry LoudermilkRepublican · Georgia
Gregory MurphyRepublican · North Carolina
Mary MillerRepublican · Illinois