Bill > HF3698

This bill, concerning public libraries in Minnesota, aims to prohibit certain restrictive terms in license agreements for electronic books and digital audiobooks. It defines key terms like "aggregator" (a company that licenses collections of digital materials from multiple publishers), "borrower" (anyone to whom a library loans digital content), "digital audiobook," "electronic book," "electronic literary material" (both digital audiobooks and e-books), and various types of "libraries" eligible under this law. The bill specifies that its provisions will only take effect 60 days after the Secretary of State certifies that other states, with a combined population of at least 7 million, have enacted similar laws. Once effective, libraries will be prevented from entering into or renewing contracts with publishers that restrict their ability to perform normal operations, such as prohibiting interlibrary loans of digital materials, limiting how many times an item can be loaned if the loan period is also restricted, or preventing libraries from purchasing e-books at the same time they become available to the public. It also aims to prevent contracts that restrict libraries from making preservation copies, sharing contract terms with other libraries, or that don't offer reasonable alternatives for contract duration, unless those alternatives are based on pay-per-use or perpetual public use. Furthermore, the bill prohibits contracts that force libraries to violate privacy laws or that make the entire agreement invalid if any part is found to be illegal.

Education

https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/94/2026/0/HF/3698/