Gov. Newsom signs expansion of California film and TV tax credit, officials say it will bring jobs back to state

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation expanding the California Film and Television Tax Credit Program onstage at a Los Angeles studio lot, increasing annual funding from $330 million to $750 million.

The expansion, described by state and industry leaders as a major investment to keep production and related jobs in California, also includes program changes leaders said will take effect under Program 4, a refundability feature, and newly approved projects that officials say represent more than $1 billion in economic activity.

Colleen Bell, California Film Commission, called the funding increase “a bold move,” saying it reflects a strategic choice to keep film and television production in California. “Increasing our annual film and television tax credit from $330,000,000 to $750,000,000 is a bold move,” Bell said.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, who signed the bill at the event, framed the measure as an investment in jobs and the state economy and said, “it’ll be my pleasure now to sign this bill.” He also said the state had made the program’s refundability component effective at the start of the month and that new application criteria had gone into effect July 1.

Industry and labor speakers said the expansion is intended to restore work for crews, craftspeople and small businesses that supply production. Noah Wyle, an actor and producer who described a recent Los Angeles shoot for his series, said filming in California sustains multigenerational tradespeople: “What we get by shooting a show on television here in Los Angeles is we get Rob Narre. But we also get three generations’ worth of experience and apprenticeship,” Wyle said.

Renata Ray, business representative for IATSE Local 44, described the expansion as a lifeline for behind-the-scenes workers and small businesses that rely on production. “This bill … will serve the thousands of California‑based, middle class union members who work up and down the credit roll,” Ray said.

Assembly and senate leaders at the event said they expect the new rules to prioritize equity, workforce development and incentives for production outside Los Angeles. Senator Ben Allen, who led the senate side of negotiations, said lawmakers included uplifts for productions in the Bay Area, San Diego and the Central Valley and added targeted support for independent productions and music scoring.

Officials said the program administrator has approved 16 projects under the expanded program that will generate more than $1 billion of economic activity statewide. The governor and other speakers announced that an application window under the updated Program 4 will open in the near term; transcripts of the event contained different date references for the first application round, and the exact application-opening date was not consistently stated at the event.

Action and implementation details announced at the signing included: - Refundability: officials said a refundability feature is now in place for the tax credit program and has gone into effect this month. - New criteria: speakers said Program 4’s updated criteria took effect July 1. - Approved projects: the California Film Commission announced 16 projects approved that officials said will provide more than $1 billion in economic activity.

What the bill does not change, and outstanding questions The event included broad descriptions of how the program will prioritize prevailing‑wage, union jobs and strengthen incentives across the state. Officials said additional implementation details — including precise application dates and operational guidance for applicants — would be posted by the administering agency. Because the transcript included multiple, inconsistent references to application dates (references to June 7, July 7 and “next week”), this article notes that the exact opening date of the application window was not specified consistently during the event.

Speakers and organizers at the signing said the expanded funding and program updates aim to bring production, wages and related small‑business revenue back to California after several years of out‑migration. They urged local governments and permitting authorities to streamline processes and reduce permit costs so production can scale up when program awards are made.

Ending Officials at the event encouraged practitioners and vendors to monitor the California Film Commission’s public materials for formal application guidance; the commission and the governor’s office said they would release further details on eligibility, timelines and scoring under Program 4.