H.R. 10204 explained · 119th Congress · Pending in Congress
Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act
Cosponsors: none · per Congress.gov, 2026-10-14
Introduced: 2026-09-01
Latest action (2026-09-15): Received in the Senate.
What H.R. 10204 does, in plain terms
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 Register. Further, the bill requires the Register (instead of the Librarian) to appoint the three administrative judges of the Copyright Royalty Board. The bill also establishes an Office of Inspector General within the Copyright Office to, among other duties, conduct and supervise audits and investigations (excluding incidents involving violence and personal property) relating to the Copyright Office. The Register must appoint an Inspector General to head this office without regard to political affiliation. The Register may remove or transfer the Inspector General with prior congressional notification. The bill also requires GPO to establish and maintain a human capital management system and outlines the requirements for the system.
Official summary by the Congressional Research Service, via Congress.gov.
Constitution Index
“VFA Constitution grade”
Minor constitutional concerns
Graded 2026-10-14
SI-generated grade · five published checks · not individually reviewed by a person · methodology
The bill is largely within Congress's constitutional authority over legislative branch agencies, but it raises minor concerns regarding the Appointments Clause and the removal of the Librarian of Congress and GPO Director by congressional leaders, which may conflict with separation of powers principles. The bill does not infringe on individual rights and generally adheres to decentralization principles.
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✓ Passes · Enumerated powers
Congress has broad authority under Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 (the Necessary and Proper Clause) to organize and manage its own agencies, including the Library of Congress, the Government Publishing Office, and the Copyright Office. These are legislative branch agencies, and Congress's power to structure them is well established. The bill's provisions regarding appointments, removals, and inte… -
✓ Passes · Bill of Rights
The bill does not implicate any of the first ten amendments. It does not restrict speech, religion, assembly, press, petition, arms, quartering, search and seizure, self-incrimination, due process, takings, fair trial, jury, cruel and unusual punishment, or unenumerated rights. The provisions are administrative and structural in nature. -
✓ Passes · Individual sovereignty
The bill does not restrict individual liberty or property. It concerns the appointment and removal of government officers and the internal management of legislative branch agencies. No individual's freedom of action is curtailed, and there is no burden on the individual to justify any restriction. -
✓ Passes · Decentralization
The bill concerns federal legislative branch agencies, which are inherently federal functions. The four-question test: (1) Individuals cannot handle the management of the Library of Congress or GPO; (2) local communities cannot; (3) states cannot; (4) the action does not consolidate decision-making at a higher level than necessary because these are already federal agencies. The bill does not viola… -
✗ Concern · Due process and takings
The bill's removal provisions for the Librarian of Congress and the Director of GPO may raise due process and separation of powers concerns. The Appointments Clause (Article II, Section 2, Clause 2) generally requires that principal officers be appointed by the President with Senate confirmation, and removal restrictions must not unduly interfere with the President's executive power. However, thes…
Sources: Congress.gov: HR 10204 summary
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