Representative Nathaniel Moran (R-TX) is turning to Congress to help bring film and television production back to the United States with a new bipartisan bill introduced last week.
The Motion Picture, Television and Entertainment Revitalization Act would create a federal tax credit for certain film and television productions made in the United States, with additional incentives for productions in rural communities and federally declared disaster areas. The legislation would also cover U.S.-based post-production and visual effects work.
“When a production comes to a community—from rural East Texas to urban New York—that money doesn't just benefit the production company,” Rep. Moran said. “It helps the local caterer, the hardware store, the hoteliers and every tradesman in between who makes film and television production possible.”
Rep. Moran said these jobs are being outsourced overseas because other countries offer “bigger handouts,” meaning larger financial incentives to attract American productions.
“If we want to keep American storytelling in America, we have to level the playing field, and that's exactly what this bill does,” he said.
The Texas congressman stressed that this is not just about “subsidizing Hollywood,” but also supporting American workers “one story, one production at a time.”
Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), a co-sponsor of the bill, echoed a similar sentiment.
“We cannot stand by as more and more American film production moves overseas, taking jobs, investment and an important source of American cultural influence with it,” Sen. Scott said.
Sen. Scott said that, growing up, he worked in movie theaters – getting to see how films can impact and inspire generations of Americans.
“That is the power of film, and South Carolina was blessed to serve as the backdrop for both of these iconic American stories,” Sen. Scott said, referring to The Notebook and Forrest Gump, both of which were filmed in the state.
But without this bill, Rep. Moran and Sen. Scott said more American productions could continue moving overseas, taking jobs investment and economic activity with them.
“This legislation will create jobs in communities across America, support local economies, and help ensure that the next generation of iconic American films is made right here in America,” Sen. Scott said.
