LA Lawmakers, Unions Rally For Federal Film Tax Credit

GLENDALE, CA — Rep. Laura Friedman, D-Glendale, joined other Los Angeles-area members of Congress and entertainment industry unions Tuesday in calling for passage of legislation that would create a federal tax credit for film and television productions made in the United States.

Friedman was joined at the Alex Theatre in Glendale by Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California, and Reps. Maxine Waters, D-Los Angeles; Judy Chu, D- Pasadena; Linda Sánchez, D-Whittier; Pete Aguilar, D-Redlands; Ted Lieu, D- Torrance; David Min, D-Irvine; and Derek Tran, D-Garden Grove.

Representatives of IATSE, SAG-AFTRA, the Writers Guild of America, Directors Guild of America, Teamsters and LiUNA also participated in the rally, along with Producers Guild of America Co-President Mike Farah.

The Motion Picture, Television and Entertainment Revitalization Act would establish a 20% tax credit on labor expenses for American workers on qualifying film and television productions.

"When a production leaves this country, the stars still work. The crew is who gets left behind," Friedman said. "65 countries offer incentives we don't match, and no single state can outbid a foreign government on its own. Our bipartisan bill is built on labor costs, which means it only pays off when American workers get hired. These are good paying union jobs with benefits and pensions, and I won't stop fighting until they come home."

Feature films, television pilots and television seasons costing more than $1 million would qualify if at least 75% of their principal photography days take place in the United States. The legislation also would cover qualifying post-production and visual effects work if at least 75% of those costs are incurred domestically.

Bonus credits could increase the incentive to as much as 30% for productions meeting specified criteria, including independent productions and projects filming at least 30% of their principal photography days in a rural qualified opportunity zone or federally declared disaster area.

Schiff said the legislation has gained broad support after years of efforts to establish a federal incentive.

"I am here to tell you that we have never been this close to getting a federal tax credit passed — never been this close," Schiff said. "I've been working on this in Congress for almost 25 years. ... We have never had such broad bipartisan support, and look, this support is just across the board."

Sánchez said the legislation would help protect behind-the-scenes production workers whose jobs have increasingly moved overseas.

"You won't see the carpenters, electricians and camera crews on screen, but they are the backbone of the film industry," Sánchez said. "Many live in my district and have watched their jobs move overseas as other countries use incentives to lure production away. Our bipartisan bill will level the playing field to bring good-paying union jobs back to Southern California and keep them here."

Chu said Southern California remains the heart of the nation's film and television industry but is losing productions to countries offering greater incentives.

"That's why I'm proud to co-lead the bipartisan Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act, which would provide a long- overdue federal tax credit to incentivize production here in the United States," Chu said. "Our creative workforce is the backbone of this industry. It's time we must invest in them and bring American film and television production back home."

Supporters say American film and television productions have increasingly moved overseas to take advantage of incentives offered by countries including the United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada.

"California is the heart of film and television production, in large part because of the workers and technicians who bring the magic to life," Tran said. "Yet the U.S. is rapidly losing jobs in this industry to competitors overseas. When productions relocate outside the U.S., it's the American-based crews that suffer the most. California's workforce deserves better. This bill incentivizes American-based productions, strengthens California's production workforce, and brings jobs back to the U.S. — where they belong."

SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said a federal incentive would build on state-level programs and give the United States a stronger tool to compete for productions.

"The Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act is an investment in American workers, American industry and American communities," Crabtree-Ireland said. "SAG-AFTRA is proud to stand with Congresswoman Friedman and our labor partners in support of this important legislation."

The proposed credit would apply to productions beginning in taxable years after Dec. 31, 2026, and would be transferable, allowing producers who cannot use the full credit against their federal tax liability to sell it.

An industry-commissioned study cited by supporters projected that a federal incentive would create 143,500 full-time equivalent jobs annually nationwide.

The American film and television industry supports more than 2 million jobs and pays $202 billion in wages, according to Friedman's office. The office said more than 100,000 production jobs have disappeared since the industry's peak in October 2022, a decline of roughly 36% through February.

City News Service