House panel questions Library of Congress on FY26 budget, IT modernization and proposed copyright access rule
Loading...
Summary
Committee members pressed Librarian Carla Hayden about the Library's FY2026 budget request, continuing IT modernization (including a new copyright registration system), and a proposed rule (37 CFR 202.18) that members say may exceed statutory authority.
The House Committee on House Administration used its oversight hearing to question Library of Congress leadership about the agency's FY2026 budget request and ongoing IT modernization, including work to modernize copyright registration and a proposed rulemaking on access to digital works.
Committee members noted a multi-year trend in appropriations and asked how the library plans to use requested increases. The hearing record referenced several figures: a fiscal year 2025 appropriation of more than $850,000,000 and a fiscal 2026 budget request of roughly $900,000,000. Committee members and the librarian clarified that the request includes mandatory pay-related increases and price-level adjustments, and Hayden described the FY26 request as containing three new requests and three re-requests tied largely to continuing IT investment and other mission priorities.
Library leadership described progress on a new copyright registration system and other IT modernization projects. Hayden said an automated enterprise system for copyright registration will benefit a large share of incoming registrations and that online registration pilots have received favorable stakeholder feedback.
Members also raised an unrelated but library-adjacent issue: the Copyright Royalty Board and its unresolved royalties. The committee record notes that court challenges to rate-setting procedures have left more than $1,000,000,000 in royalties undistributed as of November 2024.
Representative Griffin raised concerns about a proposed Library of Congress/Copyright Office rulemaking (cited in the hearing as 37 CFR 202.18) that would broaden access to electronic works under strict in-library restrictions. "I intend to follow up with a detailed set of written questions," he said, and urged keeping the final rule suspended while questions remain.
Dr. Hayden and committee members agreed to continue dialogue about the scope of access, security safeguards for onsite use of digitized items, and the role of the library in preserving historical record while protecting rights holders.
No committee votes were taken on budget or rulemaking matters at the hearing; members indicated they will submit written questions and request follow-up materials from the library and the Copyright Office.
