Every Music Bill Moving Through Congress Right Now

Billboard is tracking the full slate of music-industry legislation in the 119th Congress. Here's what's actually on the table and why it matters for rights holders, platforms, and everyone in between.

Written by Grant Hollis · Bureau Media · Jun 19, 2026

What Congress Is Actually Debating

The 119th Congress inherited a music industry that looks almost nothing like the one that produced most of the laws currently governing it. Streaming is the dominant revenue model. AI can now generate a passable vocal performance in minutes. And the royalty frameworks that determine who gets paid — and how much — were largely written when a hit song meant a physical disc.

Billboard is tracking every bill with a plausible path to affecting that landscape, and the list is longer than most people outside Washington realize.

The Core Issues on the Table

**Royalties and streaming rates** remain the perennial fight. Independent artists and songwriters have spent years arguing that the current rate-setting process systematically undervalues their work relative to what platforms generate in revenue. Several bills in the current Congress take direct aim at that structure.

**Terrestrial radio performance royalties** are back, as they always are. The United States remains one of the few developed countries where AM/FM broadcasters don't pay performers — only songwriters — when a song airs. Legislation to close that gap has been introduced in multiple prior Congresses and failed each time, but it keeps returning.

**AI and likeness protections** are the newest and arguably most urgent front. The ability to clone a voice or generate music in an artist's style without consent or compensation has moved from theoretical concern to documented commercial reality. Bills addressing AI-generated content, deepfakes, and the use of copyrighted material in training data are now part of the active legislative conversation in ways they weren't two years ago.

Why This Congress Might Be Different

Bipartisan interest in several of these issues — particularly AI and creator protections — gives some proposals more runway than they'd typically have. That doesn't mean passage is likely; most bills don't make it. But the combination of a genuinely novel technological threat and an election cycle that made "protecting American creators" a usable talking point on both sides of the aisle has shifted the political math slightly.

The lobbying picture is complicated. Major labels, independent artists, publishers, digital platforms, and broadcasters all want different things, and their interests frequently conflict. Any bill that actually moves will be the product of significant horse-trading.

What to Watch

Billboard's tracker is the most practical tool available for following this in real time. The publication is updating it as bills advance through committee, get amended, or quietly die. For anyone whose business touches music rights — whether that's a streaming platform, an agency buying music licensing for branded content, or an independent artist trying to understand what protections might actually materialize — it's worth bookmarking.

The 119th Congress has roughly 18 months of active legislative calendar remaining. That's enough time for something to move. It's also enough time for everything to stall. The tracker will tell you which direction things are heading.

Key takeaways

Multiple bills currently before Congress could reshape how music royalties are calculated, collected, and distributed across streaming and terrestrial radio.
AI and its relationship to copyright and performer likeness protections is emerging as one of the most contested legislative fronts for the music industry.
Billboard is actively updating its tracker as bills advance, stall, or get amended — making it a practical reference for anyone following music policy.
The 119th Congress represents a genuine window for music-industry reform, with bipartisan interest in several key proposals.
Labels, publishers, independent artists, and digital platforms are all lobbying actively, meaning the final shape of any legislation will reflect significant negotiation.

FAQ

What kinds of music bills are currently before Congress?

The 119th Congress is considering legislation covering streaming royalty rates, terrestrial radio performance royalties, AI-generated content and voice cloning protections, and copyright reform. Billboard is tracking the full list as it evolves.

Why don't AM/FM radio stations pay performers in the US?

Under current US law, terrestrial broadcasters pay royalties to songwriters and publishers but not to the performers or record labels whose recordings they air. This is a longstanding anomaly — most other developed countries require both payments. Legislation to change this has been introduced repeatedly but has never passed, largely due to lobbying from the broadcast industry.

How does AI factor into music legislation right now?

AI has introduced two main legislative concerns: the use of copyrighted recordings to train AI models without licensing or compensation, and the ability to clone an artist's voice or style without consent. Several bills in the current Congress address one or both of these issues, though none has yet passed into law.

Where can I follow music legislation as it moves through Congress?

Billboard is maintaining an actively updated tracker of all music-related bills in the 119th Congress at billboard.com. It covers bill status, key provisions, and updates as legislation advances or stalls.

Does bipartisan support mean these bills will pass?

Not necessarily. Bipartisan interest improves a bill's odds but doesn't guarantee passage. Most legislation introduced in any Congress never becomes law. The music industry's competing stakeholders — labels, platforms, broadcasters, independent artists — often want contradictory things, which complicates any bill's path to passage.

Citations

Music-Related Legislation Before Congress Right Now: Full List of Bills (UPDATING)Billboard is keeping track of all the bills that could impact the music industry during the 119th Congress.
Billboard News FeedBillboard is an ongoing primary source for music industry legislative coverage.