Lawmakers Introduce 20% Federal Film And TV Tax Credit Bill — SkimNews
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- The Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act offers a 20% federal credit on production-related compensation plus 5% uplifts for projects in opportunity zones or federally declared rural disaster areas, with additional sweeteners for productions spanning 10 or more states and for independent producers.
- The bipartisan co-sponsorship spans Sens. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) in the Senate and Reps. Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Brian Jack (R-GA), Nathaniel Moran (R-TX), Laura Friedman (D-CA), Judy Chu (D-CA), David Kustoff (R-TN), Mike Carey (R-OH), and Tom Suozzi (D-NY) in the House.
- Eligible productions must exceed $1 million in total cost with at least 75% of production in the U.S., while news, live sports, talk shows, daytime dramas, social media content, advertising, and corporate videos are excluded; credits are transferable and can stack on top of existing state incentives.
- President Donald Trump endorsed the legislation late last month, and Schiff said he worked with the White House, Jon Voight (Trump's "ambassador to Hollywood"), and reality TV personality Spencer Pratt on the bill's development.
- Schiff acknowledged the path forward is narrow: the House is in recess through the midterms and the Senate is about to adjourn, so backers are targeting the lame duck session — possibly by attaching the bill to a major year-end funding package.
- The Wall Street Journal editorial page has already come out against the bill, labeling film incentives "handouts" to Hollywood, while MPA Chairman Charles Rivkin called it "a true gamechanger" and Directors Guild President Christopher Nolan praised it as "the most significant legislative effort in a generation."
Why it matters: If enacted, the 20% transferable credit plus 5% uplifts would be the first federal-level incentive for film and TV, directly competing with the foreign subsidy packages that have driven production offshore — but the window is tight: the House is in recess through midterms and the Senate is adjourning, leaving a lame duck attachment to a funding bill as the most realistic path before momentum fades.
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