Relating To Motion Picture, Digital Media, And Film Production.
This bill's enactment is expected to promote local hiring in Hawaii's film and media sectors, thereby strengthening the state’s economy. By incentivizing local employment and requiring evidence of local workforce engagement, the bill encourages productions to invest in the local community. As a result, the film industry in Hawaii may become more sustainable and beneficial to residents, as local hires are likely to have economic spillover effects within various sectors.
House Bill 1495 amends Section 235-17 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes to modify the eligibility criteria for the motion picture, digital media, and film production tax credit. The bill seeks to ensure that productions qualify for this tax incentive based on their contributions to the local economy and workforce. Specifically, the legislation establishes that to be eligible, productions must have qualified production costs of at least $200,000 and demonstrate reasonable efforts to hire local talent and crew. Additionally, it prohibits productions from hiring or compensating state or county employees involved in the film permitting process.
The sentiment surrounding HB 1495 is generally positive among local stakeholders who view the amendments as a necessary step toward enhancing the local film industry's viability. Supporters argue that the new requirements will lead to increased local employment opportunities, aligning economic benefits with state budgeting for film incentives. However, there might be concerns from some production companies about the potential limitations imposed by the new hiring requirements.
Key points of contention revolve around the requirements for local hiring and the prohibition on employing state or county employees in related roles. While proponents argue that these measures will ensure that local communities benefit more from film productions, some industry stakeholders may contend that such restrictions could deter out-of-state productions from considering Hawaii as a filming location due to increased compliance costs and regulatory scrutiny.