The Pro Codes Act requires that technical and building standards incorporated into federal, state, and local laws must be made freely accessible to the public online if they want to maintain copyright protection. Standards development organizations—the private groups that create these codes—must provide public access within a reasonable timeframe after a standard is adopted into law, using formats that allow people to search and navigate the material easily. The bill affects thousands of building codes, safety standards, and technical specifications currently referenced in over 23,000 sections of federal regulations, as well as countless state and local rules. Standards organizations can still earn revenue by selling subscriptions and copies to industry professionals while providing free read-only access to the public, balancing the need for public safety information against protecting the organizations' copyright and funding model. Congress intends this to ensure citizens can access the legal requirements that govern their homes, workplaces, and communities without paying for privately-owned codes.
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