SB 22 Texas Senate · 89th Legislature (2025)

Relating to the Texas moving image industry incentive program and the establishment and funding of the Texas moving image industry incentive fund.

SB 22 establishes the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Fund to provide financial support for film and television productions filmed in Texas. It requires the Music, Film, Television, and Multimedia Office to deny grants for projects containing "inappropriate content" or portraying Texas/Texans "in a negative fashion," while also prohibiting grants for pornography, news programming, religious content, non-commercial projects, and state advertising. The bill explicitly lists ineligible project types, including political ads, sporting events, and video games used in gambling. It creates a dedicated funding mechanism for eligible productions and authorizes the Office to administer grants using money from the incentive fund or other approved sources. The law directly affects production companies seeking financial support for qualifying Texas-based film and TV projects.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

May 2025

Senate Passage

May 2025

House Passage

Jun 2025

Signed into Law

Jun 2025

Introduced Mar 11, 2025 Signed Jun 22, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Engrossed → Enrolled · 8 edits · Jun 1, 2025

MODERATE

This bill establishes a Texas moving image industry incentive fund with $300 million in initial funding and creates a sunset provision that expires most provisions on August 31, 2035. The enrolled version adds specific eligibility criteria for grants based on spending thresholds, crew residency requirements, and filming location percentages, while also introducing new grant categories for heritage, rural filming, postproduction, veterans, faith-based projects, historic sites, and workforce development. The bill includes detailed rules for calculating grant amounts based on project type and spending levels, with different percentages for feature films, television programs, commercials, and digital interactive media.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from general incentive program provisions to include specific quantitative thresholds for eligibility, detailed grant calculation formulas, and a comprehensive sunset timeline with specific expiration dates for various provisions.

FISCAL

Added $300 million initial funding deposit to the incentive fund from tax proceeds, with annual deposits required by the 30th day of each fiscal biennium.

ELIGIBILITY

Established minimum spending thresholds: $250,000 for films/television programs or $100,000 for commercials/educational videos/digital interactive media to qualify for grants.

REQUIREMENT

Set crew residency requirements at 55% Texas residents, with phased reductions to 35-50% for projects beginning between 2025-2031 if qualified crew unavailable.

Required at least 60% of filming to occur in Texas for all qualifying projects.

Changed grant calculation percentages based on project type and spending tiers, with feature films receiving 5-25% grants depending on spending level.

DEFINITION

Created seven new grant categories including Texas heritage, rural filming, postproduction, Texas veterans, faith-based, Texas historic site, and workforce development grants.

TIMELINE

Established sunset provisions with most provisions expiring August 31, 2035, and a separate sunset for Sections 485.022(a) and (f) on September 1, 2035.

ENFORCEMENT

Added office discretion to deny grants for inappropriate content and to rescind preliminary approval at any point in the grant process.

Introduced → Engrossed · 7 edits · Apr 16, 2025

MODERATE

This bill significantly updates Texas's moving image industry incentive program by adding new eligibility criteria, expanding grant amounts, and introducing new grant categories. The changes aim to boost local film production while maintaining content standards and providing targeted support for specific project types like rural filming, veterans involvement, and faith-based projects.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of the incentive program by adding new grant categories and modifying eligibility requirements, particularly regarding crew residency thresholds that will gradually increase over time.

ELIGIBILITY

Added new grant categories including Texas heritage grants, rural filming grants, postproduction grants, Texas veterans grants, and faith-based project grants, each providing additional funding percentages for qualifying projects.

Modified grant calculation thresholds to create tiered incentive percentages (5%, 10%, or 25%) based on total in-state spending amounts for different project types.

REQUIREMENT

Modified crew residency requirements to gradually increase from 55% to 50% Texas residents over a 6-year period, with temporary lower thresholds (35-45%) for projects starting between 2025-2031 if qualified crew is unavailable.

FISCAL

Added $500 million annual funding deposit to the Texas moving image industry incentive fund starting in the next state fiscal biennium.

ENFORCEMENT

Added new provisions giving the office broad authority to deny applications, rescind approvals, and designate ineligible project types based on content standards and decency requirements.

TIMELINE

Added sunset provisions establishing that most new provisions expire on August 31, 2035, with the incentive fund abolished and remaining funds transferred to the general revenue fund.

DEFINITION

Added new definitions for 'Texas heritage project' and 'faith-based moving image project' that require office designation based on promotion of family values and positive portrayal of Texas.

Floor votes · Senate Apr 16, 2025 · House May 26, 2025

How they voted

25–5

Passed

Total votes 30

Apr 16, 2025

D Democratic10

5 Yea 5 Nay

50% Nay

R Republican20

20 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Jun 1, 2025

Lower · Passed

Signed in the House

lower

May 31, 2025

Upper · Passed

Signed in the Senate

upper

May 29, 2025

Introduced

Senate concurs in House amendment(s)-reported

lower

May 28, 2025

Introduced

Senate concurs in House amendment(s)

upper

May 28, 2025

Introduced

House amendment(s) laid before the Senate

upper

May 26, 2025

Upper · Passed

House passage as amended reported

upper

May 26, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed as amended

lower

May 26, 2025

Lower · Passed

Amended

lower

May 26, 2025

House · Passed

House Vote: pass (113-26-6)

house

May 25, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed to 3rd reading as amended

lower

May 25, 2025

Lower · Passed

Amended

lower

May 19, 2025

Lower · Passed

Committee report sent to Calendars

lower

May 19, 2025

Lower · Passed

Committee report distributed

lower

Apr 28, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)

lower

Apr 22, 2025

Committee

Referred to Culture, Recreation & Tourism

lower

Apr 22, 2025

Introduced

Read first time

lower

Apr 17, 2025

Introduced

Received from the Senate

lower

Apr 16, 2025

Upper · Passed

Passed

upper

Apr 16, 2025

Upper · Passed

Passed to engrossment as amended

upper

Apr 16, 2025

Upper · Passed

Amended

upper

Apr 16, 2025

Introduced

Amendment(s) offered

upper

Apr 2, 2025

Upper · Passed

Committee report printed and distributed

upper

Apr 2, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported favorably as substituted

upper

Mar 31, 2025

Upper · Passed

Vote taken in committee

upper

Mar 31, 2025

Upper · Passed

Testimony taken in committee

upper

Mar 12, 2025

Committee

Referred to Finance

upper

Mar 12, 2025

Introduced

Read first time

upper

5 primary · 17 co-sponsors