I 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2401 

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 

MAY 18, 2015 

Mr. LATTA (for himself and Mr. WITTMAN) 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 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, 

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

4 5 PERSONS OR FEWER. 

5 (a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to pro6 vide commercial film crews of 5 persons or fewer access 


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1 to film in areas designated for public use during public 

2 hours on Federal land and waterways. 

3 (b) NATIONAL PARK SYSTEM LAND.—Section 

4 100905 of title 54, United States Code, is amended— 

5 (1) in subsection (a)— 

6 (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘The 

7 Secretary’’ and inserting ‘‘Except as provided 

8 in paragraph (3), the Secretary’’; and 

9 (B) by adding at the end the following: 

10 ‘‘(3) SPECIAL RULES FOR FILM CREWS OF 5

11 PERSONS OR FEWER.— 

12 ‘‘(A) DEFINITION OF FILM CREW.—In this 

13 paragraph, the term ‘film crew’ means any per14 sons present on Federal land or waterways 

15 under the jurisdiction of the Secretary who are 

16 associated with the production of a film. 

17 ‘‘(B) REQUIRED PERMIT AND FEE.—For 

18 any film crew of 5 persons or fewer, the Sec19 retary shall require a permit and assess an an20 nual fee of $200 for commercial filming activi21 ties or similar projects on Federal land and wa22 terways administered by the Secretary. 

23 ‘‘(C) COMMERCIAL FILMING ACTIVITIES.— 

24 A permit issued under subparagraph (B) shall 

25 be valid for commercial filming activities or 


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1 similar projects that occur in areas designated 

2 for public use during public hours on all Fed3 eral land and waterways administered by the 

4 Secretary for a 1-year period beginning on the 

5 date of issuance of the permit. 

6 ‘‘(D) NO ADDITIONAL FEES.—For persons 

7 holding a permit issued under this paragraph, 

8 during the effective period of the permit, the 

9 Secretary shall not assess any fees in addition 

10 to the fee assessed under subparagraph (B). 

11 ‘‘(E) USE OF CAMERAS.—The Secretary 

12 shall not prohibit, as a mechanized apparatus 

13 or under any other purposes, use of cameras or 

14 related equipment used for the purpose of com15 mercial filming activities or similar projects in 

16 accordance with this paragraph on Federal land 

17 and waterways administered by the Secretary. 

18 ‘‘(F) NOTIFICATION REQUIRED.—A film 

19 crew of 5 persons or fewer subject to a permit 

20 issued under this paragraph shall notify the ap21 plicable land management agency with jurisdic22 tion over the Federal land at least 48 hours be23 fore entering the Federal land. 

24 ‘‘(G) DENIAL OF ACCESS.—The head of 

25 the applicable land management agency may 


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1 deny access to a film crew under this paragraph 

2 if— 

3 ‘‘(i) there is a likelihood of resource 

4 damage that cannot be mitigated; 

5 ‘‘(ii) there would be an unreasonable 

6 disruption of the use and enjoyment of the 

7 site by the public; 

8 ‘‘(iii) the activity poses health or safe9 ty risks to the public; or 

10 ‘‘(iv) the filming includes the use of 

11 models or props that are not part of the 

12 natural or cultural resources or adminis13 trative facilities of the Federal land.’’; and 

14 (2) in the first sentence of subsection (b), by 

15 striking ‘‘collect any costs’’ and inserting ‘‘recover 

16 any costs’’. 

17 (c) OTHER FEDERAL LAND.—Section 1 of Public 

18 Law 106–206 (16 U.S.C. 460l–6d) is amended— 

19 (1) in subsection (a)— 

20 (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘The 

21 Secretary’’ and inserting ‘‘Except as provided 

22 in paragraph (3), the Secretary’’; and 

23 (B) by adding at the end the following: 

24 ‘‘(3) SPECIAL RULES FOR FILM CREWS OF 5

25 PERSONS OR FEWER.— 


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1 ‘‘(A) DEFINITION OF FILM CREW.—In this 

2 paragraph, the term ‘film crew’ means any per3 sons present on Federal land or waterways 

4 under the jurisdiction of the Secretary who are 

5 associated with the production of a film. 

6 ‘‘(B) REQUIRED PERMIT AND FEE.—For 

7 any film crew of 5 persons or fewer, the Sec8 retary shall require a permit and assess an an9 nual fee of $200 for commercial filming activi10 ties or similar projects on Federal land and wa11 terways administered by the Secretary. 

12 ‘‘(C) COMMERCIAL FILMING ACTIVITIES.— 

13 A permit issued under subparagraph (B) shall 

14 be valid for commercial filming activities or 

15 similar projects that occur in areas designated 

16 for public use during public hours on all Fed17 eral land and waterways administered by the 

18 Secretary for a 1-year period beginning on the 

19 date of issuance of the permit. 

20 ‘‘(D) NO ADDITIONAL FEES.—For persons 

21 holding a permit issued under this paragraph, 

22 during the effective period of the permit, the 

23 Secretary shall not assess any fees in addition 

24 to the fee assessed under subparagraph (B). 


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1 ‘‘(E) USE OF CAMERAS.—The Secretary 

2 shall not prohibit, as a mechanized apparatus 

3 or under any other purposes, use of cameras or 

4 related equipment used for the purpose of com5 mercial filming activities or similar projects in 

6 accordance with this paragraph on Federal land 

7 and waterways administered by the Secretary. 

8 ‘‘(F) NOTIFICATION REQUIRED.—A film 

9 crew of 5 persons or fewer subject to a permit 

10 issued under this paragraph shall notify the ap11 plicable land management agency with jurisdic12 tion over the Federal land at least 48 hours be13 fore entering the Federal land. 

14 ‘‘(G) DENIAL OF ACCESS.—The head of 

15 the applicable land management agency may 

16 deny access to a film crew under this paragraph 

17 if— 

18 ‘‘(i) there is a likelihood of resource 

19 damage that cannot be mitigated; 

20 ‘‘(ii) there would be an unreasonable 

21 disruption of the use and enjoyment of the 

22 site by the public; 

23 ‘‘(iii) the activity poses health or safe24 ty risks to the public; or 


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1 ‘‘(iv) the filming includes the use of 

2 models or props that are not part of the 

3 natural or cultural resources or adminis4 trative facilities of the Federal land.’’; and 

5 (2) in the first sentence of subsection (b)— 

6 (A) by striking ‘‘collect any costs’’ and in7 serting ‘‘recover any costs’’; and 

8 (B) by striking ‘‘similar project’’ and in9 serting ‘‘similar projects’’. 

Æ 


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