I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 5521 

To amend title 40, United States Code, to permit commercial filmmaking 

and photography on the United States Capitol grounds, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 19, 2019 

Ms. NORTON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To amend title 40, United States Code, to permit commercial 

filmmaking and photography on the United States Capitol grounds, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. PERMITTING COMMERCIAL FILMMAKING AND 

4 PHOTOGRAPHY ON UNITED STATES CAPITOL 

5 GROUNDS. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 5106 of title 40, United 

7 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol8 lowing new subsection: 


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1 ‘‘(d) COMMERCIAL FILMMAKING AND PHOTOG2 RAPHY.— 

3 ‘‘(1) AUTHORIZATION BY CAPITOL POLICE.— 

4 Notwithstanding section 5104(c) or any other provi5 sion of this chapter which restricts commercial activ6 ity on the United States Capitol Grounds, the Chief 

7 of the United States Capitol Police (hereafter in this 

8 subsection referred to as the ‘Chief’)— 

9 ‘‘(A) may issue a permit authorizing a per10 son to engage in appropriate commercial 

11 filmmaking and photography activity on the 

12 United States Capitol Grounds (other than any 

13 Capitol Buildings described in section 5101), so 

14 long as the person only engages in such activity 

15 on a day on which neither House of Congress 

16 is in session; and 

17 ‘‘(B) under the terms and conditions of 

18 such a permit, may require the person to whom 

19 the permit is issued to pay an appropriate fee 

20 to cover any costs incurred by the Architect of 

21 the Capitol as a result of the issuance of the 

22 permit. 

23 ‘‘(2) TYPES OF ACTIVITIES AND FEES PER24 MITTED.—For purposes of paragraph (1)— 


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1 ‘‘(A) commercial filmmaking and photog2 raphy activity shall be considered appropriate 

3 only if the activity is similar to the types of 

4 commercial activity permitted in Union Square 

5 prior to the transfer of jurisdiction and control 

6 of Union Square to the Architect of the Capitol 

7 under section 1202 of the Legislative Branch 

8 Appropriations Act, 2012 (2 U.S.C. 1811 note); 

9 and 

10 ‘‘(B) a fee shall be considered appropriate 

11 only if the fee is similar to the fee collected by 

12 the Director of the National Park Service for 

13 commercial activity permitted in Union Square 

14 prior to such transfer of jurisdiction and con15 trol. 

16 ‘‘(3) USE OF FEES.—Immediately upon receiv17 ing any fees collected under paragraph (1)(B), the 

18 Chief shall transfer the fees to the Capitol Trust Ac19 count established under section 213(c) of the Legis20 lative Branch Appropriations Act, 2014 (40 U.S.C. 

21 5102 note). 

22 ‘‘(4) REGULATIONS.—The Chief shall carry out 

23 this subsection in accordance with such regulations 

24 as the Capitol Police Board may promulgate pursu25 ant to the Board’s authority under section 14 of the 


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1 Act of July 31, 1946 (2 U.S.C. 1969), except that 

2 the Board shall promulgate the regulations in con3 sultation with the Committee on House Administra4 tion of the House of Representatives and the Com5 mittee on Rules and Administration of the Senate. 

6 ‘‘(5) UNION SQUARE DEFINED.—In this sub7 section, the term ‘Union Square’ means the area for 

8 which jurisdiction and control was transferred to the 

9 Architect of the Capitol under section 1202 of the 

10 Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2012 (2 

11 U.S.C. 1811 note).’’. 

12 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT RELATING TO CAP13 ITOL TRUST ACCOUNT.—Section 213(c) of the Legislative 

14 Branch Appropriations Act, 2014 (40 U.S.C. 5102 note) 

15 is amended by striking ‘‘subsection (b)(2)’’ each place it 

16 appears and inserting ‘‘subsection (b)(2) or section 

17 5106(d) of title 40, United States Code’’. 

Æ 


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