District Of Columbia Council Bill B260490

District Of Columbia 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 11/17/25
• Refer: 12/2/25
• Report Pass: 3/25/26
• Engrossed: 3/31/26

Caption

Library E-book Pricing Fairness Amendment Act of 2025

Summary

This bill amends the District of Columbia’s public library law to limit the District of Columbia Public Library’s ability to enter into or renew licensing agreements for electronic books and digital audiobooks that restrict patron access. The measure is aimed at publisher and aggregator contracts that impose conditions such as prohibiting lending, limiting the number of loans or licenses, restricting disclosure of contract terms, requiring allegedly unconscionable pricing, or preventing the library from using certain contract structures. It also defines key terms such as electronic literary material, all-access collections, subscription-based literary platforms, and technological protection measures. The bill does not ban all e-book licensing arrangements. It preserves the library’s ability to agree to limits on simultaneous users, to use reasonable technological protections, and to participate in special events or provide access through subscription-based platforms or all-access collections, so long as those arrangements do not include the prohibited restrictions. The law is triggered only if a threshold number of other states enact substantially similar laws, at which point the Board of Library Trustees must publish notice and the restrictions take effect 60 days later.

Impact

If triggered, the bill would materially change how the DC Public Library can negotiate and renew contracts for digital books and audiobooks, shifting leverage away from publishers and toward the library and its patrons. It would prohibit several common licensing terms that can limit circulation, shorten access periods, or keep contract terms confidential, and it would require the library to avoid agreements that the Board finds commercially unreasonable or unconscionably priced. The bill amends the District’s public library statute and directly affects the District of Columbia Public Library, publishers, aggregators, and other libraries that may participate in interlibrary loan or shared access arrangements.

Sentiment

The voting record shows strong support for the measure, with unanimous 12-0 approval at both first and final reading. Although no committee transcript is available, the bill’s structure suggests a policy consensus favoring broader public access to digital library materials and greater flexibility for the library in negotiating e-book licenses. The absence of recorded opposition in the available history indicates the bill was not politically contentious at the Council level.

Contention

The main policy tension in the bill is between library access and publisher control over digital lending terms. Supporters appear to favor reducing restrictive licensing practices, especially limits on loans, license counts, and contract transparency, while publishers and aggregators are the parties most likely to object because the bill curtails standard contract provisions and could pressure pricing and licensing models. Another point of potential contention is the bill’s trigger mechanism: it delays implementation until a critical mass of other states adopt similar laws, which may reflect caution about acting alone and concern about legal or market effects before broader adoption.