RAP Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Representative Johnson (GA)
Introduced
Summary
Limits the admissibility of a defendant's creative or artistic expression in court. This bill would create a default rule that artistic works generally cannot be used against a defendant in criminal or civil cases and sets a narrow path for when such material can be admitted.
Your PRIA Score
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Limits on using creative works in court
This bill would set a default ban on using a defendant's creative work as evidence. The government could only use it after a hearing outside the jury and only if it proves, by clear and convincing evidence, strict facts. The work must be meant literally, tie to the specific facts alleged, be relevant to a disputed issue, and add unique proof not found elsewhere. If any art is admitted, the judge would put findings on the record, redact the work, and instruct the jury. The rule would cover music, dance, visual art, poetry, literature, film, and similar media, in criminal and civil cases.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Johnson (GA)
GA • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Kamlager-Dove, Sydney [D-CA-37]
CA • D
Sponsored 7/23/2025
Carson
IN • D
Sponsored 7/23/2025
Casten
IL • D
Sponsored 7/23/2025
Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28]
CA • D
Sponsored 7/23/2025
Crockett
TX • D
Sponsored 7/23/2025
Rep. Frost, Maxwell [D-FL-10]
FL • D
Sponsored 7/23/2025
Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10]
NY • D
Sponsored 7/23/2025
Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7]
WA • D
Sponsored 7/23/2025
Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10]
NJ • D
Sponsored 7/23/2025
McGovern
MA • D
Sponsored 7/23/2025
Ocasio-Cortez
NY • D
Sponsored 7/23/2025
Rep. Pressley, Ayanna [D-MA-7]
MA • D
Sponsored 7/23/2025
Rep. Ramirez, Delia C. [D-IL-3]
IL • D
Sponsored 7/23/2025
Sewell
AL • D
Sponsored 7/23/2025
Stansbury
NM • D
Sponsored 7/23/2025
Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12]
MI • D
Sponsored 7/23/2025
Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13]
MI • D
Sponsored 7/23/2025
Thompson (MS)
MS • D
Sponsored 7/23/2025
Rep. Williams, Nikema [D-GA-5]
GA • D
Sponsored 7/23/2025
Wilson (FL)
FL • D
Sponsored 7/23/2025
Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36]
CA • D
Sponsored 2/20/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov