# 117-s-169: ARTS Act

117-s-169, ARTS Act, is a 117th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC] (R-NC); status became_law (as of 2026-01-05).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-s-169
- As of: 2026-01-05
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 117-s-169
- Congress: 117
- Title: ARTS Act
- Status: became_law
- Introduced: 2021-02-02
- Sponsor: Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC] (R-NC)
- Cosponsors: 3
- Policy area: Commerce
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-01-05

## Summary

**This law creates targeted, time-limited fee relief for winners of specific youth art competitions to make copyright registration faster and cheaper.** It defines which contests qualify and sets clear filing deadlines for waived fees. - Students who win the covered contests — including a Congressional Institute competition open only to high school students and the contest established by House Resolution 77 (113th Congress) — can get their Copyright Office registration fee waived if they submit the application by the end of the calendar year after the win. - The Register of Copyrights must waive the registration requirement for timely applications and may also waive fees for late applications that would have qualified if filed on time. - The law is titled the Artistic Recognition for Talented Students Act (ARTS Act) and ties eligibility strictly to the defined competitions and timing rules.

## Cosponsors (3)

- Sen. Leahy, Patrick J. [D-VT] (D-VT), 2021-02-02T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] (D-IL), 2021-03-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Blackburn, Marsha [R-TN] (R-TN), 2021-04-29T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Free copyright filing for student art winners: benefit, low. Winners of certain student art contests get free copyright registration. Covered contests are the Congressional Institute’s high school art competition and the contest created by House Resolution 77 on February 26, 2013. Apply to the Copyright Office by December 31 of the year after you win to get…

## Related bills

- 117-s-1511: Protecting America’s First Responders Act of 2021
- 117-s-4003: Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act of 2022
- 117-s-3103: Eliminating Limits to Justice for Child Sex Abuse Victims Act of 2022
- 117-s-2607: Iran Hostages Congressional Gold Medal Act
- 117-s-4982: International Children with Disabilities Protection Act of 2022
- 117-sres-762: A resolution honoring the life and accomplishments of Queen Elizabeth II and expressing condolences to her family and the United Kingdom on her passing.

## Sources
- [117-s-169 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/169)

## Related
- [117-s-1511: Protecting America’s First Responders Act of 2021](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-s-1511)
- [117-s-4003: Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act of 2022](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-s-4003)
- [117-s-3103: Eliminating Limits to Justice for Child Sex Abuse Victims Act of 2022](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-s-3103)
- [117-s-2607: Iran Hostages Congressional Gold Medal Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-s-2607)
- [117-s-4982: International Children with Disabilities Protection Act of 2022](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-s-4982)
- [117-sres-762: A resolution honoring the life and accomplishments of Queen Elizabeth II and ex…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-sres-762)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/117-s-169 (as of 2026-01-05).