Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act
Public Law 115-261 · S. 2559 · 115th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Oct 9, 2018 · Commerce
Sponsor: Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
Cosponsors (13): Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Sen. Bob Corker,
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act
(Sec. 2) This bill amends federal copyright law to implement the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired, or Otherwise Print Disabled (Marrakesh Treaty).
Specifically, it modifies the limitations and exceptions to federal copyright infringement that allow published works to be reproduced and distributed in accessible formats for individuals with print disabilities. The bill:
• makes such limitations and exceptions applicable only to activities in the United States,
• broadens the scope of published works that may be reproduced and distributed in accessible formats, and
• modifies certain terms and definitions to conform with the Marrakesh Treaty.
Additionally, the bill adds a new section to allow published works in accessible formats to be exported and imported for individuals with print disabilities.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
The record lists no related bills.
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 22 actions.
- Oct 9, 2018Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 115-261.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Sep 28, 2018FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Sep 25, 2018FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Goodlatte asked unanimous consent to discharge from committee and consider.
- FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary discharged.
- Jul 3, 2018FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Jun 29, 2018FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Jun 28, 2018FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Jun 6, 2018FloorFloor · Star Print ordered on report 115-261.
- Jun 4, 2018FloorFloor · An errata sheet on written report No. 115-261 was printed.
- FloorFloor · By Senator Grassley from Committee on the Judiciary filed written report. Report No. 115-261.
- May 15, 2018CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 414.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Reported by Senator Grassley without amendment. Without written report.
- May 10, 2018CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- Apr 18, 2018CommitteeCommittee · Committee on the Judiciary. Hearings held.
- CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Senate Judiciary Committee
- Mar 15, 2018CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S1766)
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.