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House committee advances bill aimed at curbing library e-book licensing terms; moves HF 3698 to General Register 10-8
Summary
House File 3698, sponsored by Representative Godfrey, would limit certain terms in publicly funded library e-book contracts to increase transparency and bargaining power; the Commerce Finance Policy Committee adopted an author's amendment and voted 10–8 to move the bill to the General Register.
Representative Godfrey introduced House File 3698 on April 7, a bill that seeks to change contract terms for publicly funded libraries to address what sponsors called "inflated" pricing and restrictive licensing for e-books and audiobooks.
"These vendors are charging more for one lone e-book for fewer uses than a typical physical copy would be used," Representative Godfrey said, arguing the bill would restore transparency and allow public purchasers to use procurement leverage to secure fairer contract terms.
Sarah Hawkins, assistant director at Anoka County Library and legislative chair of the Minnesota Library Association, told the committee libraries often pay "3 to 5 times more than consumers for e-books"; she said many library e-book licenses expire after two years or 26 checkouts, forcing repeated repurchases and limiting long-term public access. Hawkins cited statewide circulation and budget figures to illustrate the fiscal strain: Metro Library circulated millions of digital items in 2025 and spent roughly $6.5 million on digital content, testimony showed.
Industry representatives opposed the bill. Justin Emmerich, speaking for the Association of American Publishers, warned that restrictive state rules on contracting could reduce availability of titles and disrupt existing licensing relationships, saying the measure could "reduce access, undermine the rights of authors and publishers and threaten the viability of other book markets." Accessibility advocates also testified, with Rick Heller urging attention to the needs of people with print disabilities.
Committee members debated scope — whether the measure would bind charter school libraries or private institutions — and whether the state should mandate contract terms rather than encourage negotiation. The sponsor said the bill targets publicly funded libraries (entities receiving 50% or more public funding) and includes a safeguard delaying statewide effect until other states adopt related changes in order to preserve market power.
The committee adopted an author's A2 amendment clarifying definition language and excluding newspapers from the bill's scope. On a roll-call vote the clerk recorded 10 ayes and 8 nays; the motion to advance House File 3698 (as amended) to the General Register prevailed.
