California Passes a Bill to Incentivize Diversity in the Film Work Force

Diversity and inclusion in film and television crews are getting better, but not at the rate anyone wants. So to encourage change, California is digging into its wallet. 

The California Film Commission found that just 13% of workers in the industry were Latino, 6% were Black, and 3% were Asian American. These numbers were too low to be called inclusive. So the bill was introduced. 

The bill is known as SB 611, and it has the support of major Hollywood studios and labor groups. It passed 39-0. The next step is to appear in front of the Assembly. 

The bill’s author, Senator Ben Allen, said in a statement, “Everybody would like to see more diversity in Hollywood, this is ultimately about democratizing TV and film production. We know there’s incredibly talented young people from lots of different backgrounds.”

The bill aims to incentivize diverse and inclusive hiring by providing monetary kickbacks. The way they're doing this is by creating a training program with skilled laborers.

The Career Pathways Training Program is expected to launch soon. If you're in California looking to get into the industry, definitely check it out!

If the bill passes, productions that receive the credit can claim up to 20% or 25% of their qualified expenses. That adds up quickly! 

So what are the parameters of diverse hiring? 

You need to employ graduates of the training program in at least 60% of the departments of the production.

This is all a pretty smart way to tackle the issue. Not only are they training crew, but they're making hiring them incredibly financially smart. I think the training is really what makes this tick. People often say there's not enough of a workforce, or they don't want to take the time to find new people. Well, now they have a direct influx of who they can hire. 

Let us know what you think in the comments.