Senator Cortese's Film Safety Bill Prompted by ‘Rust’ Movie Tragedy Advances in Committee

A bill by Senator Dave Cortese establishing landmark safety rules on motion picture productions advanced on Wednesday through the Senate Labor Committee with bipartisan support. SB 735, a bill that was spurred by the 2021 death of a cinematographer on the ‘Rust’ film set, establishes a first-in-the-nation regulatory process to keep workers safe. The legislation is the product of months of conversations between film studios and unions.   

“SB 735 began as a response to a tragedy, but after many discussions with film studios and unions, the bill evolved into groundbreaking legislation that protects the health and safety of television and film workers,” said Senator Cortese (D-San Jose), who chairs the Senate Committee on Labor, Public Employment, and Retirement. “While other industries also have significant dangerous situations in the workplace, very few have as many and as varied threats all in one place – and where using firearms is a common part of the job. SB 735 will establish the nation’s best safety practices by the top motion picture studios and unions in California. It is a credit to film studios and their unions that they were willing to come together for the greater good.”

“The Entertainment Union Coalition and its member unions have been working closely with Senator Cortese to bring SB 735, landmark legislation that expands production safety, to fruition. Senator Cortese’s involvement has been invaluable in making this bill a reality,” said Thom Davis, president of Entertainment Union Coalition. “The safety advisory/risk assessment has always been our goal. It is familiar to the industry and its employees who work under this structure in many other countries. We believe it is a best practice that elevates the attention paid to potential hazards facing workers in our industry. We were gratified with today’s Senate Labor, Public Employment, and Retirement Committee vote. This year, we hope the major production studios will fully join with us in this historic initiative to once again make California a leader in the workplace.”

The bill protects film and television workers by establishing clear, mandatory guidelines around the use of firearms and ammunition on sets, among other provisions. It establishes training requirements and safety standards to ensure that prop firearms and blanks are handled safety, and prohibits the use of live ammunition except in the most limited circumstances.

SB 735 also creates the five-year Safety on Set pilot program requiring any employer who receives a motion picture tax credit to hire an independent safety advisor to conduct preproduction risk assessments, and oversee safety practices and procedures in motion picture, television, and streaming productions.  

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