Mayor Bass Applauds Governor Newsom for Signing Legislation to Protect the State Film and TV Tax Credit That She Fought To Expand, Creates New Post-Production Tax Credit

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Mayor Bass Sponsored Both Bills

LOS ANGELES - Mayor Karen Bass today issued the following statement following the announcement that Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 186 (Zbur and Allen) and AB 2319 (Schultz), two bills she sponsored:

"This is an historic day for Hollywood. I want to thank Governor Newsom for continuing to be a champion of LA's entertainment industry and joining us in our work to ensure that Los Angeles remains the entertainment capital of the world. I have spent my career fighting for the entertainment industry, including as Speaker of the State Assembly where I oversaw the passage of the inaugural Film and TV Tax Credit Program.

"For too long, hardworking Angelenos suffered from inaction from City Hall and Sacramento to protect our local entertainment jobs. These jobs do more than pay the bills - they put food on the table for families, support local businesses, and train our future creative workforce. I'm proud we're setting a new direction by working alongside industry leaders to cut filming fees locally, expand State-level incentives, and work aggressively to bring protections back to Los Angeles.

"I will always fight for our unparalleled creative workforce and to ensure that Los Angeles remains the home of Hollywood.

"These two bills not only strengthen the State's current Film and TV tax credit, which we fought to double to a historic $750 million, but also create a new incentive to protect and support the thousands of post-production workers across our state and city.

"I want to thank Senator Ben Allen, Assemblymember Rick Zbur, and Assemblymember Nick Schultz for championing these pieces of legislation and working with my Office to ensure these bills became law."

AB 2139 will create California's first post-production tax incentive. While the work done by film editors, visual effects artists, composers, colorists and other skilled workers is critical to the entertainment industry, this work did not qualify for the existing expanded State Film and TV Tax Credit, until now. Mayor Bass officially supported the legislation when it was introduced, noting that without a competitive incentive, we risk losing California's talented post-production workforce to other states. Earlier this month, she called on Governor Newsom to sign the legislation.

AB 186 would protect California's Film and Television Tax Credit Program by eliminating the tax credit cap for independent studios and providing faster cash refunds for big studios.

Mayor Bass has spent her career supporting film and television production, protecting entertainment industry jobs, and strengthening Hollywood's economic recovery. As Speaker of the State Assembly, she oversaw the passage of the inaugural Film and TV Tax Credit Program. As Mayor, she championed its historic doubling to $750 million. Now, she's fighting for a no-cap state tax credit and the creation of the first federal film incentive.

Additional progress to bolster the entertainment industry under Mayor Bass' Executive Directive 11 includes:

• Filming fees at the Griffith Observatory have been slashed by 70%.

• The Central Library has reopened for filming after more than a decade.

• The Port of Los Angeles has cut in half the time it takes to review filming applications.

• The LA Department of Transportation (LADOT) has extended staff hours to ensure timely on-street signage posting requests and changes for local productions.

• LADOT has pre-approved certain closures in Downtown L.A., allowing FilmLA to authorize curb lanes and local street closures in accordance with established guidelines.

• LAPD has identified activity and locations where the assignment of personnel can either be waived or decreased since the Mayor's directive took effect.

• Restoring filming at the Sixth Street Bridge through a new pilot program that supports productions and protects the surrounding neighborhood.

Last month, Mayor Bass toured the iconic Cinerama Dome following the announcement that Sony Pictures and Alamo Drafthouse Picture would reopen the Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument. Alongside General Managers from key City departments, Mayor Bass committed to ensuring the site reopens to filmgoers under an accelerated timeline.

Additionally, the appointment of Board of Public Works President Steve Kang as the Mayor's Liaison to the Film and Television Industry has streamlined many of the day-to-day barriers that productions face in Los Angeles. By providing a concierge-style service and addressing issues directly as they come up, the Mayor's Liaison ensures that productions receive timely support and that the City remains a film-friendly partner.

Mayor Bass also established an Entertainment Industry Council to draw on the expertise of industry leaders and issued Executive Directive 8 to support the industry locally, including establishing monthly task force meetings with key departments and industry stakeholders and requiring all departments to have a designated liaison for film and TV production.