Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act
Key claim: HR6028 revises appointment and removal of the Librarian of Congress, GPO Director, and Register of Copyrights, transfers Copyright Office supervision from the Library of Congress to the Register, creates a Copyright Office Inspector General, and requires GPO to establish a human management system.
Abstract
(HR6028 · 119th Congress) 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 Regi Latest action (2026-06-09): Received in the Senate.
Why this matters
HR6028 reshapes appointment, removal, and internal management for three legislative-branch agencies (Library of Congress, GPO, Copyright Office) and mandates that GPO stand up a formal human management system, giving the legislative branch its own analogue to executive-branch human capital planning. For workers at these agencies, tenure protections and supervisory chains would shift; for employers (the agencies themselves), a new Copyright Office Inspector General and GPO workforce system add compliance infrastructure. Status: introduced.