Commissioned Public Art - Artist Rights and Registration of Art
HB 961 prevents state-funded public art contracts from requiring artists to waive copyright protections. It applies to artists commissioned for projects receiving state funding, regardless of whether the state directly paid for the art. The bill bans new contracts from including clauses that force artists to give up copyright rights, and makes existing waivers (signed before October 1, 2025) unenforceable in court. The law takes effect on October 1, 2025, ensuring artists retain legal rights to their work on state projects.
Bill status
passed
3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Feb 2025
House of Delegates Passage
Feb 2025
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Jan 31, 2025
Last action Mar 24, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
First - Commissioned Public Art - Artist Rights
→
Third - Commissioned Public Art - Artist Rights and Registration of Art
·
4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was amended to add a requirement that State public art must be registered with the Maryland State Arts Council, expanding the bill's scope beyond just protecting artist rights. The amendment also clarifies that artists can voluntarily waive their copyright rights if they choose, while maintaining protections against mandatory waivers.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded to include a registration requirement for State public art with the Maryland State Arts Council, in addition to the existing protections against mandatory copyright waivers.
REQUIREMENT
Added a new requirement that entities commissioning State public art must register the artwork with the Maryland State Arts Council, including artist contact information, location, type, title, and installation date.
DEFINITION
Added explanatory text clarifying that capital letters indicate matter added to existing law, brackets indicate deletions, and underlining indicates amendments.
ENFORCEMENT
Modified the enforcement language to clarify that while courts cannot enforce mandatory waivers, artists retain the option to voluntarily waive their copyright protections if they choose.
TECHNICAL
Changed the bill title from 'Commissioned Public Art - Artist Rights' to 'Commissioned Public Art - Artist Rights and Registration of Art' to reflect the new registration requirement.
Floor votes · House of Delegates Feb 24, 2025
How they voted
122–9
Passed · 6 other
Total votes 137
Feb 24, 2025
D
Democratic98
95% Yea
R
Republican39
71% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
9
Key actions
4
Committee
4
Feb 28, 2025
Committee
Referred Budget and Taxation
upper
Feb 27, 2025
Lower · Passed
Third Reading Passed
lower
Feb 25, 2025
Lower · Passed
Favorable with Amendments {
lower
Feb 24, 2025
Lower · Passed
Favorable with Amendments Report by Appropriations
lower
Feb 24, 2025
House Of Delegates · Passed
House of Delegates Vote: pass (122-9-6)
house of delegates
Jan 31, 2025
Committee
First Reading Appropriations
lower
8 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Ask Maddy
·
AI policy assistant
Ask Maddy about HB 961
Scope: MD
Hi! I can help you understand HB 961. What would you like to know?
Try one of these
i
Maddy answers using official bill text and legislative records. Always verify before sharing.
Sources cited inline