$750 Million Film Tax Credit Funding Moves Forward

SB 132, a budget trailer bill that expands the California Film and Television Tax Credit Program from  $330 million to $750 million has passed the Legislature and now heads to the Governor’s desk.

SACRAMENTO, CA—Democratic Caucus Chair and Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur announced today that a budget trailer bill which includes an expansion of the California Film and Television Tax Credit Program from $330 Million to $750 Million—proposed by Governor Gavin Newsom—has been formally adopted in the state budget agreement and now awaits the Governor’s signature. 

The trailer bill marks the first of two significant steps to protect and expand good-paying film and television jobs in California. The second step to securing California’s position as a global entertainment hub will come next week, as AB 1138, the California Film and Television Jobs Act, moves forward in the Senate Appropriations Committee. Authored by Assemblymember Zbur and Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica)—with joint authors Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles), Assemblymember Sharon Quirk-Silva (D-Fullerton), Assemblymember Mike Gipson(D-Carson) and Senator Caroline Menjivar (D-San Fernando Valley), Senator Sasha Renee Perez (D-Pasadena) and Senator Henry Stern (D-Los Angeles)—AB 1138 will modernize and strengthen the film tax credit program, ensuring that California gets the greatest possible return on the $750 million investment.

“After years of uncertainty, workers can once again set the stage, cue the lights, and roll the cameras—because California is keeping film and TV jobs anchored right here, where they belong,” said Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur. “This is a historic investment in our creative economy, our working families, small businesses, and the communities that depend on this industry to thrive. We’re not just restarting production—we’re rewriting the script to put workers back at the center of California’s entertainment future. I want to thank Governor Newsom, Assembly Speaker Rivas, and Senate President Pro tem Mike McGuire for their bold leadership and unwavering commitment, as well as the countless number of colleagues and stakeholders who’ve made this progress possible.”

Since 2009, the Film & Television Tax Credit Program has been successful in creating over 197,000 jobs statewide and $26 billion in economic activity. According to the LA County Economic Development Corporation, every dollar spent through the program generates $24.40 in economic output, $16.14 in GDP, $8.60 in wages, and $1.07 in state and local tax revenue.