S. 326: American Music Fairness Act
A Senate bill (S.) in the 119th U.S. Congress.
Overview
| Congress | 119th U.S. Congress (2025–2026) |
|---|---|
| Type | Senate bill (S.) |
| Originating chamber | Senate |
| Introduced | 2025-01-30 |
| Sponsor | Sen. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN] |
| Policy area | Commerce |
| Cosponsors | 5 |
| Latest action | 2025-01-30 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. |
| Last updated | 2025-12-05 |
Summary
Official summary (Introduced in Senate, 2025-01-30):
American Music Fairness Act
This bill establishes that the copyright holder of a sound recording shall have the exclusive right to perform the sound recording through an audio transmission. (Currently, the public performance right only covers performances through a digital audio transmission in certain instances, which means that nonsubscription terrestrial radio stations generally do not have to get a license to publicly perform a copyright-protected sound recording.)
Under the bill, a nonsubscription broadcast transmission must have a license to publicly perform such sound recordings. The Copyright Royalty Board must periodically determine the royalty rates for such a license. When determining the rates, the board must base its decision on certain information presented by the parties, including the radio stations' effect on other streams of revenue related to the sound recordings.
Terrestrial broadcast stations (and the owners of such stations) that fall below certain revenue thresholds may pay certain flat fees, instead of the board-established rate, for a license to publicly perform copyright-protected sound recordings.
Cosponsors (5)
| Name | Party / state |
|---|---|
| Alex Padilla | D CA (original cosponsor) 2025-01-30 |
| Thom Tillis | R NC (original cosponsor) 2025-01-30 |
| Cory A. Booker | D NJ (original cosponsor) 2025-01-30 |
| Bill Hagerty | R TN 2025-07-15 |
| Adam B. Schiff | D CA 2025-07-15 |
Full text & official record
The official bill text, section-by-section summary, amendments, committee reports, and the complete legislative timeline for S. 326 are published by Congress on congress.gov.
Frequently asked questions
What is S. 326?
S. 326 is a Senate bill (S.) introduced in the 119th U.S. Congress, originating in the Senate. Official title: American Music Fairness Act.
Where can I read the full bill text?
The full text, cosponsors, amendments, and legislative status for S. 326 are available on congress.gov.
Bill data: congress.gov API (official congressional records).