One of the more interesting bits of music-related legislation to come up recently is the bill known as the Performance Rights Act. Drafted as House Resolution 848, sponsored by House Judiciary Committee chairman Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) and co-sponsored by a host of legislators including Houston Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee, H.R. 848 would require broadcasters to pay a fee to performers for using their material. On May 13, the House Judiciary Committee approved H.R. 848 21-9; it now faces a heari
