Bills › 91st General Assembly
Relating to contracts between a publisher and a library for electronic literary materials, and providing civil penalties
Sponsored by Rep. Matthew Rinker (R)
Where it is now
- Done: IntroducedFebruary 19, 2025
- Done: SubcommitteeFebruary 20, 2025
- Stopped: House committeeDied when the General Assembly ended
- Next: Passes the House
- Next: Senate committeeFunnel: by March 20, 2026
- Next: Passes the Senate
- Next: To the Governor
- Next: Signed into law
Died when the session ended The 2026 session adjourned on May 3, 2026, the General Assembly’s last regular session. Bills that didn’t pass both chambers died. What’s a funnel?
What’s in it
AI summary This law prevents publishers from using contracts to stop libraries from doing their normal jobs with digital books and materials. It stops companies from limiting how many times a library can lend an item or preventing them from making copies for preservation. While publishers can still limit how many people use a book at the same time, the state can fine companies that break these rules.1
Read the official explanation
This bill relates to contracts between a publisher and a library for electronic literary materials. The bill prohibits a contract or license agreement between a publisher and a library from precluding, limiting, and restricting the library from performing customary operational or lending functions.7. “Borrower”, “electronic literary material”, “library”, “loan”, “loan period”, and “publisher” are defined in the bill. The bill authorizes a contract or license agreement between a publisher and a library to limit the number of borrowers the library may allow to have simultaneous access to material. The bill also authorizes a contract or license agreement between a publisher and a library to require the library’s reasonable use of a technological protection measure that prevents a borrower from maintaining access to material beyond the loan period specified in the license, or from providing another person with access to material. The bill authorizes the attorney general, upon reasonable belief that a publisher is in violation of the bill, to bring civil action to enjoin further violations by the publisher, enforce compliance with the bill, assess a civil penalty not to exceed $100,000 per violation of the bill, and to obtain other remedies permitted under law.
House subcommittee
Named February 27, 2025. It hasn’t reported yet.
Three legislators hear a bill first and recommend what the committee should do; it’s the best time to weigh in. How to take part
Iowa Code it changes
Lobbying
2 for · 2 against · 2 undecided · Who →
Family tree
91st General Assembly
Earlier and later bills are matched by wording or an identical title.
Tried before
This idea has been filed in an earlier General Assembly. None got through a chamber.
- SF 2230 Relating to contracts between a publisher and a library for electronic literary materials,…90th General Assembly · Renumbered as SF 2320 · same titleCleared committee
- SF 2320 Relating to contracts between a publisher and a library for electronic literary materials,…90th General Assembly · Approved by committee · same titleCleared committee
Matched by wording or an identical title.