I 
113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5893 
To restore the First Amendment Rights of Photographers. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 2, 2015 
Mr. STOCKMAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Oversight and Government Reform, and in addition to the 
Committees on Natural Resources, Agriculture, and the Judiciary, 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 com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To restore the First Amendment Rights of Photographers. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ansel Adams Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds as follows: 
(1) In recent years, the Federal Government 
has enacted regulations to prohibit or restrict pho-
tography in National Parks, public spaces, and of 
government buildings, law enforcement officers, and 
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other government personnel carrying out their du-
ties. 
(2) In recent years, photographers on Federal 
lands and spaces have been threatened with seizure 
and forfeiture of photographic equipment and mem-
ory cards, and have been arrested or threatened with 
arrest for merely recording what the eye can see 
from public spaces. 
(3) Even in the absence of laws or regulations, 
Federal law enforcement officers, other government 
personnel, and private contractors have been in-
structed to prohibit photography from public spaces, 
and threatened photographers with arrest or seizure 
of photographic equipment. 
(4) Arresting photographers, seizing photo-
graphic equipment, and requirements to obtain per-
mits, pay fees, or buy insurance policies are abridg-
ments of freedom of speech and of the press. 
(5) The First Amendment of the United States 
Constitution states, ‘‘Congress shall make no law 
. . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the 
press.’’. 
(6) Still and motion photographs are speech. 
(7) The photography by Ansel Adams and other 
famous photographers helped bring home to Ameri-
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cans the beauty and fragility of our natural re-
sources. 
(8) Ansel Adams’ photographs helped build 
public support to make Yosemite into a National 
Park. 
(9) Future ‘‘Ansel Adams’’ must not have their 
paths blocked, regulated and made more expensive 
with fees and fines, or be threatened with arrest and 
seizure of their equipment. 
SEC. 3. RESTORATION OF FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS TO 
PHOTOGRAPHERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—It is contrary to the public policy 
of the United States to prohibit or restrict photography 
in public spaces, whether for private, news media, or com-
mercial use. 
(b) Should a Federal agency seek to restrict photog-
raphy of its installations or personnel, it shall obtain a 
court order that outlines the national security or other 
reasons for the restriction. Such court order shall allow 
restrictions of photography when such photography may 
lead to the endangerment of public safety or national secu-
rity. Nothing in this Act shall restrict Federal agencies 
from taking lawful steps to ascertain whether or not pho-
tography may consist of reconnaissance for the purpose 
of endangerment of public safety or national security or 
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for other unlawful activity. Nothing in this Act shall be 
construed to repeal, invalidate, or supersede section 795 
of title 18, United States Code. 
(c) PROHIBITION ON FEES, PERMITS, OR INSUR-
ANCE.—No Federal Government agency shall require fees, 
permits or insurance as a condition to take still or moving 
images on Federal lands, National Parks and Forests, and 
public spaces, whether for private, media, or commercial 
use. 
(d) PROHIBITION
ON
THE
SEIZURE
AND
FOR-
FEITURE OF PHOTOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT.—Federal law 
enforcement officers or private contractors shall not seize 
any photographic equipment or their contents or memory 
cards or film, and shall not order a photographer to erase 
the contents of a camera or memory card or film. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITION. 
‘‘Photography’’ means any form or method of cap-
turing and recording or transmitting still or moving im-
ages. 
Æ 
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