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Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act
Legislative Progress
Introduced
September 1, 2026
Latest Action
September 15, 2026
Primary Sponsor
H. Morgan GriffithRepublican(VA)
Momentum (last 30 days)
0
score
0 actions · 0 new cosponsors · 0 votes
Speed vs cohort
81pct
14d open
vs 10,940 other HR bills in the 119th — cohort avg 30d
Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act This bill revises the procedures for appointing and removing the Librarian of Congress, the Director of the Government Publishing Office (GPO), and the Register of Copyrights. The bill also establishes an Office of Inspector General within the Copyright Office and requires GPO to establish a human management system. Specifically, the bill requires the Librarian of Congress and the Director of GPO to be appointed by a bipartisan congressional commission, based on procedures outlined by the bill and without regard to political affiliation. (Currently, these positions are appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate.) The Librarian of Congress and the Director of GPO may only be removed from office by a majority vote of the majority and minority leaders of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Additionally, the bill requires the Librarian of Congress and the Director of GPO to each appoint a deputy within a set time frame and outlines related procedures. The bill removes the Library of Congress's (LOC's) supervisory authority over the Copyright Office and instead transfers those powers directly to the Register of Copyrights. LOC and other legislative agencies may provide support services to the Copyright Office. The bill requires the Register of Copyrights to be (1) a U.S. citizen with a background and experience in copyright law, and (2) appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. (Currently, the Register is appointed by the Librarian.) Before the President makes the appointment, the chair and ranking minority member of each specified committee must jointly recommend three individuals whom the President may consider in making the appointment. The bill limits the term of office for the Register to 10 years, but the individual may be reappointed. The bill requires subordinate officers and employees of the Copyright Office to be appointed by the Register. Further, the bill requires the Register (instead of the Librarian) to appoint the three administrative judges of the Copyright Royalty Board. The bill also establishes an Office of Inspector General within the Copyright Office to, among other duties, conduct and supervise audits and investigations (excluding incidents involving violence and personal property) relating to the Copyright Office. The Register must appoint an Inspector General to head this office without regard to political affiliation. The Register may remove or transfer the Inspector General with prior congressional notification. The bill also requires GPO to establish and maintain a human capital management system and outlines the requirements for the system.
These links require the bill number to appear in the filing's source-reported specific issue text. Client expenses and lobbying-firm income are separate disclosure fields.
Filing registrants (3)
2026 · third_quarter · Communications/Broadcasting/Radio/TV
Streaming piracy devices and application International censorship issues Illicit streaming devices Kids Online Safety Act Children and Teens Online Privacy Protection Act House NDAA S. 4784, Senate NDAA Universal Service Fund Streaming (vMVPD) marketplace Kids Online Safety & Privacy Act Online age verification H.R. 7757, KIDS Act S. 4407, CHATBOT Act S. 4349, Parents Over Platforms Act S. 4855, Safe Kids Act S. 5090, Digital Age Assurance Act S. 737, Screen ACT S. 1586, App Store Accountability Act H.R. 10364, American Copyright Protection Act of 2026 H.R. 10582/S. 5552, Motion Picture Television and Entertainment Revitalization Act H.R. 10204, Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act H.R. 10575/S. 5529, DEFEND IP Act of 2026
Received in the Senate.
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H5551-5556)
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 10204.
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H5551-5557)
Mr. Griffith moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
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
Congress.gov source codes: 1000, Intro-H
Bills with similar content found using semantic analysis.
Sources: Congress.gov
Client expense: $610,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE, White House Office
2026 · third_quarter · Computer Industry
Streaming piracy; Illicit streaming devices Role of content and copyright in digital trade Platform Accountability Privacy Kids Online Safety Act Children and Teens Online Privacy Protection Act Artificial Intelligence Name-Image-Likeness and digital replicas H.R. 4591 NO FAKES Act of 2026 COPIED Act Kids Online Safety & Privacy Act Online age verification CLEAR Act H.R. 7757, KIDS Act H.R. 3149/S. 1586 App Store Accountability H.R. 6333/S. 4349 Parents over Platforms Act S. 3062, GUARD Act S. 4407, CHATBOT Act S. 4855, Safe Kids Act S. 5090, Digital Age Assurance Act S 737, Screen Act S. 1586, App Store Accountability Act H.R. 10364, American Copyright Protection Act of 2026 H.R. 10582/S. 5552, Motion Picture Television and Entertainment Revitalization Act H.R. 10204, Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act H.R. 10575/S. 5529, DEFEND IP Act of 2026 S. 4349, Parents Over Platforms Act
Client expense: $610,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE, White House Office
2026 · third_quarter · Copyright/Patent/Trademark
Copyright Office appropriations and modernization; Copyright policy; Illicit streaming devices; Platform Accountability; Felony Streaming; Digital Millennium Copyright Act; Copyright enforcement; Artificial Intelligence; Digital replicas S. 5529/H.R. 10575, DEFEND IP Act H.R. 10364, American Copyright Protection Act of 2026 H.R. 10582/S. 5552, Motion Picture Television and Entertainment Revitalization Act H.R. 10204, Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act
Client expense: $610,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE, White House Office
2026 · third_quarter · Government Issues
H.R. 10204 Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act
Client expense: $610,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE
2026 · third_quarter · Copyright/Patent/Trademark
1. General copyright law reform (including matters relating to songwriter royalty payments, licensing of musical works, the section 115 mechanical license, the Music Modernization Act, intellectual property enforcement, reform of the U.S. Copyright Office, and online streaming) 2. Subscription related issues, including related to negative option rules 3. NO FAKES Act (S. 1367, S. 4591, H.R. 2794, H.R. 8915), PADRA, and general AI related issues 4. Trade issues related to Canada's Online Streaming Act, USMCA, free trade agreements with Latin American countries, and other digital trade issues 5. Issues related to performance rights organizations 6. Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act, H.R. 6028 and H.R. 10204 7. H.R. 8025, Protecting American Streaming and Innovation Act 8. H.R. 8994, Protect Working Musicians Act of 2026
Client expense: $123,051 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SENATE, U.S. Copyright Office, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)
2026 · third_quarter · Copyright/Patent/Trademark
H.R. 10575/S. 5529, the Deterring Extraterritorial Foreign Exploitation of Networks Damaging Intellectual Property (DEFEND IP) Act of 2026 S. 5104/H.R. 9681, Fair Seeds for Farmers Act H.R. 10204, Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act H.R 10364 American Copyright Protection Act of 2026 H.R. 10026, Honoring Circuit Judge Pauline Newman Act of 2026 H.R. 10025, Preventing Abuse of Digital Replicas Act H.R. 7140, Customer Legal Ease and Relief Act (CLEAR Act) H.R. 5811, Restoring Americas Leadership in Innovation Act of 2025 S. 3517, the Visual Artists Copyright Reform Act of 2025 H.R. 6517, To modify the appointment process for the Librarian of Congress, the Comptroller General, and the Director of the Government Publishing Office, and for other purposes H.R. 6028, Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act S. 1546/H.R. 3152, Patent Eligibility Restoration Act (PERA) of 2025 S. 1553/ H.R. 3160, Promoting and Respecting Economically Vital American Innovation Leadership Act (PREVAIL) S. 1833/H.R. 3539, Leadership in CET Act S. 2677/H.R. 4930, To expand the sharing of information with respect to suspected violations of intellectual property rights in trade S. 2455, TRAIN Act S. 2276/H.R. 3269, ETHIC Act H.R. 1566, the Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair (REPAIR) Act H.R. 890, A bill to amend title 35, United States Code, to prevent double patenting, and for other purposes. H.R.1109, the Litigation Transparency Act of 2025 H.R. 2675, Protecting Our Courts from Foreign Manipulation Act of 2025 S. 1367/H.R. 5794, NO FAKES H.R 791, Foreign Anti-Digital Piracy Act (FADPA) S. 1097, Interagency Patent Coordination and Improvement Act of 2025 S. 1096, Preserve Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act S. 1041, Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act S. 708/H.R. 1574, RESTORE Patent Rights Act of 2025 H.R. 6485/S. 43, Skinny Labels, Big Savings Act Issues related to USPTO operations Issues related to international patent harmonization Issues related to patent subject matter eligibility Issues related to Copyright Office Operations
Client expense: $10,000 · Firm income: Not reported
Government targets: Commerce, Dept of (DOC), HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Library of Congress (LOC), Office of Management & Budget (OMB), Patent & Trademark Office (PTO), SENATE, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), White House Office