JACKSON, Wyo. — On Saturday, Jan. 4, President Joe Biden signed H.R. 6492, the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act or the EXPLORE Act, into law.
The EXPLORE Act includes provisions of the FILM Act, which reforms the permit system for for-profit filming under the National Park Service (NPS).
This passage comes after the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and the National Press Photographers Association filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of Jackson-area photographers Alexander Rienzie and Connor Burkesmith against the NPS after they were ticketed for violating the federal law prohibiting commercial filming without a permit in Grand Teton National Park (GTNP).
“By removing unconstitutional barriers, this new law allows filmmakers to share the beauty and stories of our national parks without facing jail or fines for how they use the footage,” FIRE Chief Counsel Bob Corn-Revere said in a press release. “FIRE applauds Congress and President Biden for taking this crucial step to ensure no one sheds their First Amendment rights just for stepping on land that belongs to the American public.”
According to the new law, permits for photography and filming will no longer be required for parties fewer than six people if it involves any allowed activity in a national park, regardless of whether those documenting are receiving compensation for their work. This is a big change from the NPS previously requiring a permit for all commercial filming.
However, the new law notes that photographers and filmmakers must not “disturb or negatively impact” the experience of other visitors, natural and scenic resources or cultural resources in the Parks. The photography or filming must also take place only in areas open to the public.
