Bill restricting rights of citizens to videotape police introduced in Texas House

Rep. Jason Villalba, R-Dallas, holds a sonogram showing his unborn son during final remarks before a provisonal vote on HB 2, an abortion bill,Tuesday, July 9, 2013, in Austin, Texas. A final, formal vote is scheduled for Wednesday. The bill, which passed, would require doctors to have admitting privileges at nearby hospitals, only allow abortions in surgical centers, dictate when abortion pills are taken and ban abortions after 20 weeks. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) less Rep. Jason Villalba, R-Dallas, holds a sonogram showing his unborn son during final remarks before a provisonal vote on HB 2, an abortion bill,Tuesday, July 9, 2013, in Austin, Texas. A final, formal vote is ... more Photo: Eric Gay, AP Photo: Eric Gay, AP Image 1 of / 26 Caption Close Bill restricting rights of citizens to videotape police introduced in Texas House 1 / 26 Back to Gallery

A bill restricting the rights of citizens to record the police was filed in Texas House of Representatives on Tuesday.

The House Bill 2918 introduced by Texas Representative Jason Villalba (R-Dallas) would make private citizens photographing or recording the police within 25 feet of them a class B misdemeanor, and those who are armed would not be able to stand recording within 100 feet of an officer.

As defined in the bill, only a radio or television that holds a license issued by the Federal Communications Commission, a newspaper that is qualified under section 2051.044 or a magazine that appears at a regular interval would be allowed to record police.

"(My bill) just asks filmers to stand back a little so as to not interfere with law enforcement," said Villalba.

An appeals court in Glik v. Cunniffe ruled unanimously that private citizens are allowed to videotape police in 2011, so this bill would go against the set precedent.