The San Diego Regional Film Financial Incentive Pilot Program.

Existing law establishes the County of San Diego and various offices within the county for administration of the county government. The Personal Income Tax Law and the Corporation Tax Law allow various credits against the taxes imposed by those laws, including motion picture credits for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2020, to be allocated by the California Film Commission on or after July 1, 2020, and before July 1, 2025. This bill would establish the San Diego Regional Film Financial Incentive Pilot Program to be administered by the San Diego Regional Film Financial Incentive Pilot Program Office within the County of San Diego for purposes of awarding grants, beginning on July 1, 2024, to qualified projects that, among other things, have a production budget with at least 70% of expenditures to laborers, retailers, or suppliers who are permanent residents of the County of San Diego. The bill would require an applicant to submit a specified application to the office, and would require the office to award grants in order of priority based on the ratio of the total moneys expected to be paid by the applicant as wages to laborers who are permanent residents of the County of San Diego divided by the total production budget. The bill would appropriate $25,000,000 to the County of San Diego over a 3-year period for purposes of the program, including administrative costs. The bill would require the office to submit, on or before January 1, 2027, a report to the Legislature and the California Film Commission on the results of the program. By placing new requirements on the County of San Diego, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill would repeal these provisions on January 1, 2028. This bill would make legislative findings and declarations as to the necessity of a special statute for the County of San Diego. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.