PACE Act Signed Into Law In Maryland: What The New Law Means For Free Artistic Expression

On Tuesday, May 12, Gov. Wes Moore signed the Protecting Artists' Creative Expression (PACE) Act into law, making Maryland the third state in the nation to enact legislation protecting creators' rights to artistic expression by limiting the use of creative works, such as song lyrics, as evidence in criminal court. Recording Academy Board of Trustees Chair Dr. Chelsey Green, members of the Recording Academy's Washington, D.C. Chapter, and staffers from the Recording Academy Advocacy team attended the historical signing ceremony.

The newly signed law will further protect free expression in music and the arts. Specifically, the PACE Act establishes that a defendant's creative or artistic works may not be used as evidence in a criminal matter unless a court determines the material is directly relevant and therefore admissible. While the law does not prohibit the use of relevant lyrics or artistic content in criminal trials, it creates safeguards intended to ensure artists can express themselves freely without fear that their work will be unfairly weaponized against them due to bias surrounding a particular genre or form of expression.

The Recording Academy has worked to advance the legislation since 2023, collaborating closely with the Free Our Art campaign and bill sponsors Maryland State Delegate Marlon Amprey and Maryland State Sen. Charles Sydnor. In March 2024, members of the Academy's Washington, D.C. Chapter traveled to Annapolis for a press conference and advocacy day highlighting the importance of the legislation in protecting the rights of Maryland artists. In 2025, the Recording Academy launched a video initiative featuring Maryland-based Academy members urging Maryland lawmakers to pass the PACE Act. The Recording Academy also led an advocacy campaign encouraging Maryland members to urge their state representatives to support the bill. Recording Academy Chief Advocacy & Public Policy Officer Todd Dupler provided written testimony in support of the PACE Act before the Maryland Senate in each of the legislative sessions from 2024 through 2026. The legislation passed the Maryland General Assembly on April 11, 2026, and will take effect starting Oct. 1, 2026.

"Since the 1980s, hip-hop lyrics have been used against defendants in more than 820 criminal cases," Gov. Moore said at the bill signing press conference. "Going back to the 1950s, lyrics from every other musical genre combined have been used the same way four times. This is not a coincidence; this is bias. In Maryland, that ends today."

The signing of the PACE Act marks a significant milestone in the nationwide effort to protect creators' First Amendment rights. Maryland now joins California and Louisiana, which passed similar laws in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

"The Recording Academy applauds today's signing of the PACE Act, a monumental victory in the fight to protect artists' creative freedom," Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason jr. said. "Lyrics are a powerful tool for personal expression, not a shortcut to criminalization, and this legislation helps establish important guardrails that ensure artists' creativity is not unfairly used against them. The Academy thanks Gov. Wes Moore and the Maryland legislature for their leadership on this issue, and we are committed to continuing this work with lawmakers across the country to protect artistic expression in our culture."

The Recording Academy is also advancing similar legislation in New York, which has passed the state Senate and is currently awaiting a vote in the state Assembly.

In addition to the Recording Academy's statewide efforts, the Academy has also been working closely with members of Congress to get a federal bill on this issue passed. On Aug. 6, 2025, the Recording Academy joined sponsors Reps. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) and Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.) for a press conference to reintroduce the federal Restoring Artistic Protection Act in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Want to get involved? Urge your representatives to support the Restoring Artistic Protection Act.

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