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115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1944 

To amend section 100905 of title 54, United States Code, to direct the 

Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to require 

annual permits and assess annual fees for commercial filming activities 

on Federal land for film crews of 5 persons or fewer, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 5, 2017 

Mr. LATTA (for himself, Mr. FARENTHOLD, Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina, 

Mr. BACON, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Mr. LAMALFA, Mr. COLE, 

and Mr. WALZ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on 

Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 

in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend section 100905 of title 54, United States Code, 

to direct the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary 

of Agriculture to require annual permits and assess annual fees for commercial filming activities on Federal 

land for film crews of 5 persons or fewer, 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, 

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1 SECTION 1. ANNUAL PERMIT AND FEE FOR FILM CREWS OF 

2 5 PERSONS OR FEWER. 

3 (a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the amendments 

4 made by subsection (b) is to provide commercial film crews 

5 of 5 persons or fewer access to film in areas designated 

6 for public use during public hours on Federal land and 

7 waterways. 

8 (b) ACCESS FOR FILM CREWS OF 5 PERSONS OR

9 FEWER.—Section 100905 of title 54, United States Code, 

10 is amended as follows: 

11 (1) In subsection (a), by adding at the end the 

12 following: 

13 ‘‘(3) FILM CREWS OF 5 PERSONS OR FEWER.— 

14 For film crews of 5 persons or fewer, the Secretary 

15 shall— 

16 ‘‘(A) assess an annual fee of $200 for com17 mercial filming activities or similar projects on 

18 Federal land administered by the Secretary; 

19 and 

20 ‘‘(B) require a permit which shall be valid 

21 for commercial filming activities or similar 

22 projects that occur in areas designated for pub23 lic use during public hours on all Federal land 

24 and waterways administered by the Secretary 

25 for a 1-year period beginning on the date of 

26 issuance of the permit.’’. 

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1 (2) In subsection (c)(2), by adding at the end 

2 the following: ‘‘The fee under this paragraph for 

3 film crews of 5 persons or fewer shall be not more 

4 than $200.’’. 

5 (3) In subsection (f), by adding at the end the 

6 following: ‘‘The Secretary shall not consider subject 

7 matter or content as a criterion for issuing or deny8 ing a permit under this Act.’’. 

9 (4) By adding at the end the following: 

10 ‘‘(g) EXEMPTION FROM COMMERCIAL FILMING OR

11 STILL PHOTOGRAPHY PERMITS AND FEES.—The Sec12 retary shall not require persons holding commercial use 

13 authorizations or special recreation permits to obtain an 

14 additional permit or pay an additional fee for commercial 

15 filming or still photography under this section if— 

16 ‘‘(1) the filming or still photography conducted 

17 is incidental to the permitted activity that is the 

18 subject of the commercial use authorization or spe19 cial recreation permit; and 

20 ‘‘(2) the holder of the commercial use author21 ization or special recreation permit is an individual 

22 or small business concern (within the meaning of 

23 section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 

24 632)). 

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1 ‘‘(h) EXCEPTION FROM CERTAIN FEES.—Commer2 cial filming or commercial still photography shall be ex3 empt from fees under this Act, but not from recovery of 

4 costs under subsection (e), if the activity is conducted— 

5 ‘‘(1) by an entity that is a small business con6 cern (within the meaning of section 3 of the Small 

7 Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632)); 

8 ‘‘(2) by a crew of not more than 5 individuals; 

9 and 

10 ‘‘(3) using only a camera and tripod. 

11 ‘‘(i) NEWS GATHERING ACTIVITIES.—For the pur12 poses of this section, news gathering shall not be consid13 ered a commercial activity. 

14 ‘‘(j) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this sec15 tion— 

16 ‘‘(1) the term ‘commercial film crew’ means any 

17 persons present on Federal land or waterways under 

18 the jurisdiction of the Secretary who are associated 

19 with the production of a film; 

20 ‘‘(2) the term ‘news gathering’ includes, at a 

21 minimum, the gathering, recording, and filming of 

22 news and information related to news in any me23 dium; and 

24 ‘‘(3) the term ‘Secretary’ means the Secretary 

25 of the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture, as 

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1 applicable, with respect to land under the respective 

2 jurisdiction of the Secretary.’’. 

Æ 

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