# Understanding the Pro Codes Act

Building codes, electrical codes, plumbing standards, and safety regulations are often written by private organizations and then adopted into law by federal, state, and local governments. The Pro Codes Act addresses a problem that affects everyday people: when governments officially adopt these private codes into law, citizens often can't read them without paying money to the private organizations that own them. This bill says that if a private organization's work gets incorporated into any law or regulation, that organization must make it available to the public for free online.

Here's why this matters in practice. Imagine your city adopts a building code to ensure new construction is safe, but that code is owned by a private company that charges $300 for a copy. A homeowner wanting to understand what rules apply to their renovation, a small contractor bidding on a job, or a citizen attending a city council meeting about zoning—they'd all have to pay to see the actual rules that now govern them. The Pro Codes Act would require the copyright holder to post these codes on a website at no cost so anyone can access them.

The bill includes an important protection for copyright owners: if someone sues claiming the copyright holder didn't comply with this requirement, the person filing the lawsuit has to prove the violation happened. This puts the burden on the accuser rather than forcing copyright owners to defend themselves. The bill also clarifies that this requirement doesn't conflict with existing federal transparency laws about government spending.

Essentially, this is about making sure that when private standards become public law, the public can actually read them without paying a fee.

Pro Codes Act

Deutch, Theodore E.

Protecting and Enhancing Public Access to Codes Act or the Pro Codes Act This bill modifies copyright protections for works that have been adopted by reference into law. Specifically, if a work that is otherwise subject to copyright protection has been adopted or incorporated by reference, in full or in part, into any law or regulation, the original work shall be protected under copyright only if the copyright owner makes the work available for free on a publicly accessible website.