Congressmen Hank Johnson, Jamaal Bowman introduce RAP Act
August 2, 2022
"Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech"
Congressmen Hank Johnson (GA-04) and Jamaal Bowman (NY-16) have introduced the Restoring Artistic Protection Act (RAP Act) to protect artists from the wrongful use of their lyrics against them in criminal and civil proceedings. The legislation is the first bill of its kind at the federal level and is aimed to protect artists' First Amendment rights. The RAP Act adds a presumption to the Federal Rules of Evidence that would limit the admissibility of evidence of an artist's creative or artistic expression against that artist in court.