Tillis’ bipartisan ARTS Act signed into law

U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) on Oct. 19 applauded President Joe Biden for signing into law his bipartisan, bicameral bill authorizing the waiver for a copyright registration fee for specific congressional competition art winners.

“I am proud to have worked with my friend Senator Leahy on a bipartisan, bicameral basis to enact this legislation so each student is introduced to the benefits of copyright protection and I applaud President Biden for signing this legislation into law,” Sen. Tillis said on Wednesday.

The president signed into law the Artistic Recognition for Talented Students (ARTS) Act, S. 169, which Sen. Tillis sponsored in February 2021 with lead original cosponsor U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT). The same-named companion bill, H.R. 704, was introduced at the same time by U.S. Reps. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) and Nancy Mace (R-SC) in their chamber.

The new law directs the Copyright Office to waive various copyright registration-related fees for works that win certain competitions sponsored by the Congressional Institute or established by Congress, according to the congressional record bill summary. To qualify for the fee waiver, the copyright registration application must be filed within a specified time frame, but the Copyright Office may waive fees for a qualifying work even if the application is filed outside the time frame, the summary says.

Specifically, the copyright registration fee will be waived for winners of the Congressional Art Competition and the Congressional App Competition, which are sponsored and led by the U.S. House of Representatives and encourage students to engage in the arts, as well as in coding, according to the lawmakers. The students are recognized by each district. 

“Every year, talented students across the country participate in the Congressional Art Competition and the Congressional App Competition, with the winners displaying their work in the United States Capitol,” said Sen. Tillis. 

Sen. Leahy added that he and Sen. Tillis first introduced the bill three years ago and it has remained a priority for them both ever since. 

The bill eliminates “any cost barrier that exists for students trying to protect their works,” he said. “I look forward to continuing to work with Senator Tillis on getting our other intellectual property priorities to the president’s desk.”