Films=Jobs Advocacy Update

Films=Jobs Advocacy Update

During this past two-year legislative session in Massachusetts, we have worked hard to protect the Film & Television Incentive Program. Several bills have been filed to repeal it, dismantle it, and budget amendments had been filed to weaken it. Our industry has come together with a strong and unified presence at two public committee hearings for these proposals, held two advocacy days, and sent thousands of emails, letters and postcards to the State House.
 
Because of these efforts and multiple informational campaigns, neither the House nor Senate budgets for FY2017 include changes to the Film & Television Incentive.
 
Your voices have been heard! But we are not finished yet.
 
The formal legislative voting session does not end until July 31. There are a number of significant bills that the Legislature will take up over the next five weeks. One of those is House Bill 4413, an Economic Stimulus Bill, to which the Senate may introduce amendments to repeal or dismantle the Film & Television Incentive Program. We are closely watching this bill, among others, for amendments that could impact the incentive program.
 
Please watch for updates and be prepared for action alerts. If opponents of the film incentive attempt to repeal or weaken the program we will need to act quickly and distribute a new outreach campaign to our legislators to oppose these initiatives.
 
Our continued success depends on your advocacy and your voices being heard.

SAG-AFTRA is a union that has among its members a diverse group of performers, broadcasters and newscasters. The passage of this resolution/statement should not be interpreted as a personal statement of opinion by or of any specific member of the union.