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Bill

HB 387

Commissioned Public Art - Artist Rights and Registration of Art

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Dylan Behler and 12 co-sponsors

Maryland bill establishes registration system and legal protections for commissioned public artists, clarifying ownership rights and attribution for publicly funded artworks.

Hearing 3/31 at 1:00 p.m.
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Bill Summary · HB 387

Legislative bill overview

HB 387 establishes legal protections and registration requirements for commissioned public art in Maryland, creating a formal system to document artist rights, ownership, and attribution for publicly funded artworks. The bill appears designed to clarify intellectual property protections and ensure proper recognition and compensation frameworks for artists creating public installations.

Why is this important

Public art commissions involve significant public funds, yet artists often lack clear legal protections regarding ownership, reproduction rights, and attribution. This bill addresses a gap where municipalities and public entities may use or modify commissioned artwork without artist consent or compensation, affecting both individual artists' livelihoods and the integrity of public cultural investments.

Potential points of contention

  • Administrative burden and costs: Registration requirements may create bureaucratic overhead for artists, municipalities, and public entities, with unclear funding mechanisms for administration
  • Scope of "public art" definition: The bill's coverage of what qualifies as commissioned public art versus private installations could create disputes over which projects require registration
  • Modification and derivative rights: Tension between public entities' desire to maintain/alter public installations over time and artists' rights to prevent changes to their work, potentially limiting necessary repairs or updates

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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