The Recording Academy applauds Louisiana’s Restoring Artistic Protection Act of 2023, which officially took effect on August 1, making Louisiana the second state to enact such legislation.
The Recording Academy, the music organization responsible for the Grammy Awards, is celebrating with the creative community of Louisiana today as the state’s Restoring Artistic Protection Act of 2023 officially goes into effect Tuesday, August 1.
Artists and industry advocates have expressed the importance of passing legislation to ensure all artists can create freely without fear of the criminalization of their work. Louisiana is now the second state to enact such legislation, following California’s bill AB-2799‘s approval in September 2022.
Signed into law in June by Governor John Bel Edwards, this act protects freedom of expression by limiting how lyrics and other creative works can be used as evidence in criminal proceedings. The legislation marks a significant advancement in the fight to protect artists’ First Amendment rights and ensure they don’t live in fear of their works being used against them in a trial.
“Today we celebrate an important victory for music creators in the state of Louisiana,” said Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. “Silencing any genre or form of artistic expression is a violation against all music people.
“As the second state to enact a law protecting creative expression, Louisiana continues to build momentum in the fight to safeguard artists’ creativity nationwide. We extend our gratitude to Rep. Tanner Magee for his leadership on this issue and to Governor Edwards for recognizing the importance of protecting artistry and signing the Restoring Artistic Protection Act into Law.”
The legislation in Louisiana comes on the heels of the Recording Academy’s Annual Grammys on the Hill event back in April, in which the RAP (Restoring Artistic Protection) Act was reintroduced on Capitol Hill by Congressmen Hank Johnson (D-GA) and Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), after failing to gain substantial traction in 2022.
