Moving Image Industry Incentive Program.
If you’re working in the content industry in Texas you probably have a friend or associate who’s spent some time working out of state to help crew a project that was set up there by a production company looking to take advantage of incentive programs offered by a state film commission or other entity. New Mexico and Louisiana are the two states I hear mentioned most often.
HB 1634, a bill originally introduced by Texas House of Representatives member Dawnna Dukes, seeks to help reverse this trend by providing fresh incentives for content developers to choose Texas as their production location.
The bill, also known as the Moving Image Industry Incentive Program would offer incentives up to the following:
- $2 million for a film;
- $2.5 million for a television program;
- $200,000 for a commercial or series of commercials; or
- $250,000 for a digital interactive media production
According to the House Committee Report version of the bill, in order to qualify for these incentives:
- a production company must generate a minimum of $10 million in in-state spending for a film or television program; or $500,000 in in-state spending for a commercial, or series of commercials, or digital interactive media production.
- at least 70 percent of the production crew, actors, and extras for a moving image project must be Texas residents.
- at least 80 percent of the moving image project must be filmed in Texas.
There’s other criteria as well so be sure and study the bill if your interest runs deeper. But that’s the gist of it, and there’s a lot for content developers to like. Kudos to Representative Dukes and the other representatives now co-sponsoring and supporting the bill.
The Moving Image Industry Incentive Program is on the legislative calendar for a vote on April 3rd.
Related link: The Texas legislature offers this tool to help you find out who your state representative is.
update 04.12.07: Yesterday the Moving Image Industry Incentive Program was passed to engrossment by the Texas House and had a nonrecord vote recorded in journal. These were new terms to me, so thankfully the Texas House Research Organization puts out the handy How A Bill Becomes Law report. A couple excerpts from that document help explain the current status of the bill.
Regarding passage to engrossment:
The (TX) Constitution requires that a bill be read before the House on three separate days in order to be passed…First reading occurs when the bill caption is read and the bill is referred to committee. Second reading gives the House its first chance to debate and vote on the bill…Bills passed on second reading usually are set for third reading on the next day
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