September 17, 2012
On Friday, August 31, just minutes before the midnight deadline, the California State Legislature voted overwhelmingly to send legislation extending the California Film & Television Tax Credit Program for two years to Governor Jerry Brown to be signed into law.
The legislation, represented by AB 2026 in the Assembly and SB 1197 in the Senate, would provide much-needed stability and additional funding to the production incentive program that has already been credited with generating $3.9 billion in direct spending and creating an estimated 42,000 jobs for cast and crew throughout California. The DGA worked actively as part of a coalition of entertainment guilds and unions in support of the legislation.
“The extension of the California Film & Television Tax Credit Program will provide needed stability and longevity to this very successful program, allowing California-based DGA members to continue making a living in the entertainment industry here in their home state while actively contributing to the state economy and remaining close to their families and their communities,” said Bryan Unger, Associate National Executive Director/Western Executive Director of the Directors Guild of America.
The effort to extend the incentive program was led in the Assembly by Assembly Member Felipe Fuentes and in the Senate by Senator Ron Calderon. The governor has until the end of September to sign the new law into effect.
- For more information about production incentives, click here to visit the initiatives section of www.dga.org