We have received text from H.R. 4678: Restoring Artistic Protection Act of 2025. This bill was received on 2025-07-23, and currently has 20 cosponsors.
Here is a short summary of the bill:
This legislation, titled the "Restoring Artistic Protection Act of 2025," proposes changes to the Federal Rules of Evidence regarding the admissibility of a defendant's creative or artistic expressions in legal proceedings. Here are the key points of the bill:
1. Limitation on Admissibility
The bill introduces a new rule, Rule 416, which states that a defendant's creative or artistic expressions—which may include music, literature, visual art, and other forms of expression—are generally inadmissible as evidence against them in court.
2. Exceptions to Inadmissibility
There are specific conditions under which a court can allow such evidence to be presented:
- The court must hold a hearing outside the presence of the jury where the government proves by clear and convincing evidence that:
- If the expression is original, the defendant intended a literal meaning; or
- If the expression is derivative, that the defendant intended to adopt its literal meaning as their own thought or statement.
- In criminal cases, the expression must directly relate to the facts of the alleged crime.
- In civil cases, the expression must directly relate to the facts outlined in the complaint.
- It must be shown that the expression is relevant to a disputed fact in the case.
- It must offer unique probative value that is not covered by other admissible evidence.
3. Court Rulings and Procedures
- The court is required to document its rulings and findings during the hearing on the record.
- If any evidence is admitted, the court must ensure that only the relevant parts of the expression are presented to the jury and provide appropriate instructions on how to interpret this evidence.
4. Definition of Creative or Artistic Expression
The bill defines "creative or artistic expression" to encompass a wide range of activities, including:
- Music
- Dance
- Performance art
- Visual art
- Poetry
- Literature
- Film
- Other forms of media and artistic creation
5. Amendments to Legal Texts
The legislation also mandates a clerical amendment to the table of contents for the Federal Rules of Evidence, to include this new rule on artistic expressions.
Relevant Companies
- None found
Representative Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. Bill Proposals
Here are some bills which have recently been proposed by Representative Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr.:
- H.R.4678: RAP Act of 2025
- H.R.3544: Supreme Court Tenure Establishment and Retirement Modernization Act of 2025
- H.R.3513: Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act of 2025
- H.R.3449: Stronger Communities through Better Transit Act
- H.R.3150: TRUST Act
- H.R.1929: JUDGES Act of 2025
You can track bills proposed by Representative Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. on Quiver Quantitative's politician page for Johnson.
Representative Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. Net Worth
Quiver Quantitative estimates that Representative Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. is worth $32.5K, as of August 7th, 2025. This is the 436th highest net worth in Congress, per our live estimates.
Johnson has approximately $0 invested in publicly traded assets which Quiver is able to track live.
You can track Representative Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr.'s net worth on Quiver Quantitative's politician page for Johnson.
This article is not financial advice. See Quiver Quantitative's disclaimers for more information.
