Protect Working Musicians Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 8994 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8994 To empower independent music creator owners to collectively negotiate with dominant online platforms regarding the terms on which their music may be distributed. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 21, 2026 Ms. Ross (for herself, Mr. Cohen, and Mr. Doggett) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To empower independent music creator owners to collectively negotiate with dominant online platforms regarding the terms on which their music may be distributed. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Protect Working Musicians Act of 2026''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. Congress finds the following: (1) Music is a cultural treasure and a unique source of spiritual inspiration, emotional comfort, community connection, and joy. It is also a powerful economic driver that directly and indirectly supports nearly 2 million American jobs and almost $150 billion in annual economic activity. (2) A healthy music ecosystem is a fundamental bedrock for a healthy society. (3) Fair and competitive markets for the use and licensing of recorded music are integral to a healthy music ecosystem. (4) As music distribution has moved online, the market for use and licensing has become distorted and imbalanced. The largest Dominant Online Music Distribution Platforms use their market power to distort legal requirements and force music creators into licensing agreements that do not reflect market value. Those agreements essentially dictate a price to music creators. If music creators do not agree to licensing terms, the online platf