Mayor Karen Bass Applauds Advancement of Post-Production Tax Credit, Urges Passage in the State Senate

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LOS ANGELES - Mayor Karen Bass, who oversaw the passage of California's first Film and Television Tax Credit legislation, today applauded the advancement of AB 2319 (Schultz), which was moved on to the State Senate. Assemblymember Schultz's bill would create a tax credit designed to keep film and television post-production work in California. Mayor Bass officially supported the legislation when it was introduced - read the letter here.

"I will fight with everything we have to make sure that our entertainment industry isn't relegated to L.A.'s history, but is a thriving part of our future that puts our next generation to work in good-paying, union jobs," said Mayor Bass. "Other states and countries are using sophisticated and aggressive tactics to take our jobs away, but because we stood up and fought back, we are seeing signs of a turnaround. I thank Assemblymember Schultz for authoring this important legislation, and I urge the Senate to pass it and send it to the Governor's Office so it can become law."

As Mayor Bass wrote in her support letter, while California's Motion Picture Tax Credit Program has helped retain principal photography, it does not extend to post-production work which is increasingly being done outside Los Angeles and California. Post-production is a critical part of California's entertainment economy, supporting thousands of high-skill jobs - including editors, sound engineers, visual effects artists, composers, musicians, technicians, and many small businesses. Without a competitive incentive, we risk losing this talent to other states. AB 2319 addresses this gap by creating a post-production-specific credit to help retain economic activity, sustain jobs, keep facilities active, and ensure California remains the global leader in entertainment production and innovation.

Mayor Bass advocated for last year's expansion of the State Film Tax Credit, which has already brought productions and jobs back to L.A. With Los Angeles experiencing the first uptick in film and television production in many years, Mayor Bass has also called for a no cap state film tax credit and a federal film incentive.

Mayor Bass has championed L.A.'s signature industry since she was Speaker of the State Assembly, overseeing the passage of the Inaugural Film and TV Tax Credit Program. Now as Mayor, she has used her authority to focus on streamlining city processes and delivering excellent customer service so that creators and crews can do what they do best - in the city that does it best.

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

• Launching a new pilot program providing a 20% discount at LADOT-owned parking lots citywide.

• 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 L.A. Department of Transportation 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.

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 arise, the Mayor's Liaison ensures that productions receive timely support and that the City remains a film-friendly partner.

Mayor Bass also took executive action to welcome productions like Baywatch back to Los Angeles. Additionally, this year, Mayor Bass has joined Cinespace and East End Studios to celebrate the grand opening of their new campuses in Los Angeles.

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.