Sponsor
Eleanor Holmes Norton
Representative · D-DC
Representative · D-DC
The bill opens the Capitol Grounds to commercial filming during adjournments and creates a dedicated fee revenue stream to offset Architect of the Capitol costs and reduce appropriations pressure, but it raises security and transparency concerns and may leave uncertainty or limits for modern commercial productions.
Taxpayers and federal facilities staff: fees from commercial filming will be deposited into a Capitol Trust Account to reimburse Architect of the Capitol costs and reduce reliance on general appropriations.
Small commercial film and photography businesses: permitting commercial filming on Capitol Grounds when neither House is in session creates predictable business opportunities and revenue sources.
Visitors, staff, and federal employees: increased commercial filming activity could raise security concerns and cause disruptions on Capitol Grounds.
Taxpayers and Congressional operations: authorizing fee collection and deposits to a Capitol Trust Account expands non-appropriated funding sources, which can reduce transparency and diminish direct Congressional control over those revenues.
Small commercial producers: restricting permitted activities to those similar to pre-2012 Union Square rules may create uncertainty about what modern commercial uses are allowed and could unintentionally limit some productions.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Permits and fees for commercial filming/photography on Capitol Grounds (excluding buildings) may be issued when neither House is in session, with fees deposited into the Capitol Trust Account.
Introduced January 20, 2026 by Eleanor Holmes Norton · Last progress January 20, 2026
Authorizes the Chief of the U.S. Capitol Police to issue permits and collect fees for commercial filmmaking and photography on the United States Capitol Grounds (but not inside Capitol Buildings) when neither House of Congress is in session. Fees must cover Architect of the Capitol costs and be transferred immediately to the Capitol Trust Account; the Capitol Police Board must write implementing regulations in consultation with House and Senate committee staff. The permitted activities and fees are limited to those similar to commercial uses and fees that applied to "Union Square" before its 2012 transfer to the Architect. Also amends the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2014 to explicitly reference the new authority as an allowable deposit source for the Capitol Trust Account, making the deposit authority for those fees explicit.