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Advocacy/Copyright Reform
Copyright Reform
October 20, 2026
More Information: ASMP’s VACRA Initiative
“Intimate Moment,” Mount Blue Sky, Colorado. © Steffen Foerster | Mammals, Top 100 | NANPA Showcase 2025
H.R. 10843 would change how photographers register large collections of images, with larger group registrations, a deferred option, and reduced fees for individuals and small businesses.
At a Glance
Introduced October 19, 2026 · Referred to the House Judiciary Committee. Proposed reforms; not enacted law.
Follow the House Legislative Record
Reps. Ben Cline and Sydney Kamlager-Dove introduced the Visual Artists Copyright Reform Act of 2026 in the House on October 19. NANPA welcomes their support for photographers and the work our members create.
The bill, H.R. 10843, addresses a problem many nature photographers know well: keeping copyright registrations current as an image collection grows. A project may span years of fieldwork, with some photographs licensed or published along the way and others held for future use. Preparing those images for registration takes time, and the fees can be a significant expense for an individual photographer.
Under H.R. 10843, a photographer could include up to 3,000 photographs in a single registration application. The photographs would need to be by the same individual author, but they could have different creation or publication dates. Published and unpublished photographs could be included together.
The bill would also create a deferred registration option. A creator would submit an application, fee, and copies of the work, with examination available later upon request and payment of an additional fee. The initial fee for that deferred application would be no more than half the standard application fee.
Other provisions call for registration subscriptions, reduced fees for individual authors and small businesses, and a Copyright Office interface that works with software professional creators commonly use. The Full House Bill sets out these proposals and their requirements.
The House introduction follows the Senate bill introduced by Senators Marsha Blackburn and Peter Welch on December 17, 2025. NANPA covered that introduction in our Earlier VACRA Alert.
H.R. 10843 has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee. It has not become law, and current registration requirements remain in effect. NANPA and ASMP will continue advocating for these changes and keeping members informed.
Thank you to Reps. Cline and Kamlager-Dove for bringing this legislation to the House. Members can find the bills and related resources on the ASMP VACRA Initiative Page or follow the House Legislative Record.
Keep Exploring
A separate proposal affecting the cost of registering photographs.
Read the fee action
Explore NANPA’s copyright resources and primary documents.
Return to the hub
Copyright Reform
NANPA Welcomes House Introduction of VACRA
October 20, 2026
More Information: ASMP’s VACRA Initiative
“Intimate Moment,” Mount Blue Sky, Colorado. © Steffen Foerster | Mammals, Top 100 | NANPA Showcase 2025
H.R. 10843 would change how photographers register large collections of images, with larger group registrations, a deferred option, and reduced fees for individuals and small businesses.
At a Glance
H.R. 10843: Introduced in the House
Introduced October 19, 2026 · Referred to the House Judiciary Committee. Proposed reforms; not enacted law.
Follow the House Legislative Record
Reps. Ben Cline and Sydney Kamlager-Dove introduced the Visual Artists Copyright Reform Act of 2026 in the House on October 19. NANPA welcomes their support for photographers and the work our members create.
The bill, H.R. 10843, addresses a problem many nature photographers know well: keeping copyright registrations current as an image collection grows. A project may span years of fieldwork, with some photographs licensed or published along the way and others held for future use. Preparing those images for registration takes time, and the fees can be a significant expense for an individual photographer.
How the Proposal Would Work
Under H.R. 10843, a photographer could include up to 3,000 photographs in a single registration application. The photographs would need to be by the same individual author, but they could have different creation or publication dates. Published and unpublished photographs could be included together.
The bill would also create a deferred registration option. A creator would submit an application, fee, and copies of the work, with examination available later upon request and payment of an additional fee. The initial fee for that deferred application would be no more than half the standard application fee.
Other provisions call for registration subscriptions, reduced fees for individual authors and small businesses, and a Copyright Office interface that works with software professional creators commonly use. The Full House Bill sets out these proposals and their requirements.
VACRA Is Now Before Both Chambers
The House introduction follows the Senate bill introduced by Senators Marsha Blackburn and Peter Welch on December 17, 2025. NANPA covered that introduction in our Earlier VACRA Alert.
H.R. 10843 has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee. It has not become law, and current registration requirements remain in effect. NANPA and ASMP will continue advocating for these changes and keeping members informed.
Thank you to Reps. Cline and Kamlager-Dove for bringing this legislation to the House. Members can find the bills and related resources on the ASMP VACRA Initiative Page or follow the House Legislative Record.
Keep Exploring
Related Advocacy
Registration Fees
A separate proposal affecting the cost of registering photographs.
Read the fee action
Copyright Advocacy
Explore NANPA’s copyright resources and primary documents.
Return to the hub