Pro Codes Act of 2026

This bill would add a new section to federal copyright law about technical and voluntary consensus standards that governments incorporate into laws or regulations by reference. A standard that was protected by copyright would keep that protection after a government incorporates it by reference, as long as the organization that developed it posts the incorporated portions online for the public at no cost within a reasonable time. The free online version would need a searchable table of contents and index or similar tools, and the website would need to meet federal accessibility rules. Requiring users to create an account or accept terms of service would still count as public access if there is no charge and personal information is not used without the user's consent. In legal disputes, the party claiming that an organization failed to meet these requirements would have to prove it.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Christopher A. Coons Democrat sponsor
• 3 cosponsors