AB 983 FAILS

The judiciary committee of California’s state senate has rejected a bill that called for the repeal of a 1987 amendment to California’s so-called Seven Year Statute as it related to recording artists.

The rejection of AB 983 is the fourth time a bill pushing for an alteration to label deals has failed to pass the legislature.

“We applaud the Committee’s thoughtful decision to reject AB 983,” the California Music Coalition said in a statement. “The committee recognized that AB 983 would have radically destabilized recording agreements and California’s entire music economy, taking money out of the pockets of working artists to fund even bigger paychecks for wealthy managers and lawyers.”

Supporters of the bill expressed dismay with the result but vowed to continue to push a change to the law.

“It is heart breaking that the artist community will continue to be denied equal protection. Artists deserve the same rights as every citizen in California,” Music Artists’ Coalition, Black Music Action Coalition and Songwriters of North America said in a joint statement. The FAIR Act was an opportunity for the community to come together and the labels refused to join. This is a battle, not the war.”