IB 

Union Calendar No. 51 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1695 

[Report No. 115–91] 

To amend title 17, United States Code, to provide additional responsibilities 

for the Register of Copyrights, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 23, 2017 

Mr. GOODLATTE (for himself, Mr. CONYERS, Ms. BASS, Mr. BIGGS, Mrs. 

BLACKBURN, Mr. BUCK, Mr. CHABOT, Ms. JUDY CHU of California, Mr. 

CICILLINE, Mr. COLLINS of Georgia, Mr. DESANTIS, Mr. DEUTCH, Mr. 

FARENTHOLD, Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, Mr. GAETZ, Mr. GOHMERT, Mr. 

GOWDY, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. JOHNSON of 

Louisiana, Mr. JORDAN, Mr. KING of Iowa, Mr. LABRADOR, Mr. TED

LIEU of California, Mr. MARINO, Mr. NADLER, Mr. POE of Texas, Mr. 

RATCLIFFE, Mrs. ROBY, Mr. SENSENBRENNER, and Mr. SMITH of 

Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on the Judiciary 

APRIL 20, 2017 

Additional sponsors: Mr. SCHNEIDER, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. CRAWFORD, and Mr. 

COHEN

Deleted sponsor: Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia (added March 23, 2017; deleted 

March 27, 2017) 

APRIL 20, 2017 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 

House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on March 23, 2017] 


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•HR 1695 RH

A BILL 

To amend title 17, United States Code, to provide additional 

responsibilities for the Register of Copyrights, and for 

other purposes. 


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•HR 1695 RH

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SEC. 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Register of Copyrights 

5 Selection and Accountability Act of 2017’’. 

6 SECTION 2. REGISTER OF COPYRIGHTS. 

7 (a) AMENDMENTS.—Section 701 of title 17, United 

8 States Code, is amended— 

9 (1) in subsection (a)— 

10 (A) by striking ‘‘(a) All administrative’’ 

11 and inserting the following: 

12 ‘‘(a) REGISTER AND DIRECTOR.— 

13 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—All administrative’’; 

14 (B) by striking ‘‘director’’ and inserting 

15 ‘‘Director’’; 

16 (C) by inserting after the first sentence the 

17 following: ‘‘The Register of Copyrights shall be a 

18 citizen of the United States with a professional 

19 background and experience in copyright law and 

20 shall be appointed by the President from the in21 dividuals recommended under paragraph (6), by 

22 and with the advice and consent of the Senate.’’; 

23 and 


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•HR 1695 RH

1 (D) in the last sentence, by striking ‘‘shall 

2 be appointed’’ and all that follows through ‘‘and 

3 shall act’’ and inserting ‘‘shall act’’; 

4 (2) in subsection (b), by redesignating para5 graphs (1) through (5) as subparagraphs (A) through 

6 (E), respectively, and adjusting the margins accord7 ingly; 

8 (3) by redesignating subsection (b) as paragraph 

9 (2), and adjusting the margins accordingly; 

10 (4) in paragraph (2), as so redesignated, by in11 serting ‘‘DUTIES.—’’ before ‘‘In addition’’; 

12 (5) by inserting after paragraph (2) the fol13 lowing: 

14 ‘‘(3) OATH.—The Register of Copyrights shall, 

15 before taking office, take an oath to discharge faith16 fully the duties of the Copyright Office described in 

17 paragraph (2). 

18 ‘‘(4) REMOVAL.— 

19 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Register of Copy20 rights may be removed from office by the Presi21 dent. 

22 ‘‘(B) NOTIFICATION.—The President shall 

23 provide notification to both Houses of Congress 

24 of a removal under subparagraph (A). 

25 ‘‘(5) TERM OF OFFICE.— 


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•HR 1695 RH

1 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subpara2 graph (B), the Register of Copyrights— 

3 ‘‘(i) shall be appointed for a term of 10 

4 years; and 

5 ‘‘(ii) may serve until a successor is ap6 pointed, confirmed, and taken the oath of 

7 office. 

8 ‘‘(B) LIMITATION.—The Register of Copy9 rights may not continue to serve after the date 

10 on which Congress adjourns sine die after the 

11 date on which the 10-year period described in 

12 subparagraph (A)(i) ends. 

13 ‘‘(C) REAPPOINTMENT.—An individual ap14 pointed to the position of Register of Copyrights, 

15 by and with the advice and consent of the Sen16 ate, may be reappointed to that position in ac17 cordance with the requirements of this section. 

18 ‘‘(6) PANEL FOR REGISTER OF COPYRIGHTS REC19 OMMENDATIONS.—There is established a panel to rec20 ommend a list of at least 3 individuals to the Presi21 dent for appointment as the Register of Copyrights. 

22 The panel shall be composed of the following: 

23 ‘‘(A) The Speaker of the House of Rep24 resentatives. 


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•HR 1695 RH

1 ‘‘(B) The President pro tempore of the Sen2 ate. 

3 ‘‘(C) The majority and minority leaders of 

4 the House of Representatives and the Senate. 

5 ‘‘(D) The Librarian of Congress.’’; 

6 (6) by redesignating subsections (c) through (f) 

7 as subsections (b) through (e), respectively; 

8 (7) in subsection (b), as so redesignated, by in9 serting ‘‘SEAL.—’’ before ‘‘The Register’’; 

10 (8) in subsection (c), as so redesignated, by in11 serting ‘‘ANNUAL REPORT.—’’ before ‘‘The Register’’; 

12 (9) in subsection (d), as so redesignated, by in13 serting ‘‘APPLICABILITY OF TITLE 5.—’’ before ‘‘Ex14 cept as provided’’; and 

15 (10) in subsection (e), as so redesignated, by in16 serting ‘‘COMPENSATION.—’’ before ‘‘The Register’’. 

17 (b) APPLICABILITY.—The amendments made by sub18 section (a) shall apply with respect to any vacancy for the 

19 Register of Copyrights after January 1, 2017. If a Register 

20 of Copyrights is appointed during the period beginning on 

21 January 1, 2017 and ending on the day before the date 

22 of the enactment of this Act, that Register shall meet the 

23 requirements of the amendments made by this Act or shall 

24 be replaced in accordance with such amendments. 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS

sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 51 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1695 

[Report No. 115–91] 

A BILL 

To amend title 17, United States Code, to provide 

Copyrights, and for other purposes. additional responsibilities for the Register of 

APRIL 20, 2017 

Reported with an amendment, committed to the Comand ordered to be printed mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS