California Governor Signs Bill Protecting Motion Picture and TV Production Workers

On Sept. 5, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law SB 271, a bill set to go into law January 2020 that will ensure full access to unemployment insurance, state disability insurance and paid family leave benefits for California resident entertainment industry workers who work on productions that take them to other states. The bill was co-sponsored by the California IATSE Council and the Entertainment Union Coalition.

SB 271 resolves a long-standing problem specific to residents of California who work in the motion picture and television industry on productions that shoot in other states in addition to California.

Up until now, outdated metrics implemented in the 1950s were used to determine where their employment taxes would be credited. Often that was to other states.

When it came time to claim their benefits, many California entertainment industry workers found their benefits were far lower than they should have been and, in some cases, nonexistent. SB 271 resolves this problem and will bring financial and emotional relief to the thousands of these workers who need and deserve the benefits to which they are entitled.

This item was originally featured in the Los Angeles Fall 2019 print newsletter.