The House and Senate were not in voting session the later half of February. Instead, the Appropriations Committees in each chamber began their budget hearings, an annual process where various state departments and agencies testify before the Legislature about the Governor’s budget proposal. These budget hearings will continue into mid-March.

During the Senate Appropriations Committee’s budget hearing with the Department of Community and Economic Development, the topic of the film production tax credit was discussed. Senator Patty Kim (D) asked DCED Secretary Rick Siger to talk about how important the tax credit was and asked about ways to build on it. Sec. Siger said he was excited about the program and for its future. He mentioned a desire for the tax credit to reach all corners of the Commonwealth.  He said that the film industry is constantly changing and that the department was doing its best to be nimble and responsive.

Later in the hearing, Sen. Costa mentioned the importance of enhancing the film tax credit to compete with other states. He highlighted the economic impact of both actors and behind-the-scenes workers and expressed interest in learning more about awarded projects and future investment opportunities in the sector. Sec. Siger expressed support for the film industry, acknowledging the significant investments made by some states in this area. He mentioned that maintaining the current investment level of $100 million is sensible but is open to discussions about it. Sec. Siger highlighted the industry's importance, its diverse labor force, and its substantial economic impact. Sen. Costa expressed concern about the potential loss of the labor workforce to other states and emphasized the importance of maintaining and expanding the program to prevent this.

A link to the video of the hearing can be found here. Sen. Kim’s film tax credit questions are at 1:29:44 and Sen. Costa’s questions are at 1:48:04.

Looking ahead in March, the House returns to voting session on March 17^th and the Senate returns to voting session on March 24^th. Below is a list of the remaining session days for the first half of the year.

House

• March 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26
• April 7, 8, 9, 22, 23, 24
• May 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14
• June 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 30

Senate

• March 24, 25, 26, 31
• April 1, 2
• May 5, 6, 7, 12, 13
• June 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30