Texas Senate passes $500M film incentive bill. How will that impact Fort Worth?
Senate Bill 22, filed by Sen. Joan Huffman (R- Houston), calls on the Texas Comptroller to deposit $500 million into the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Fund every two years until 2035. This would more than double the $200 million biennium that Texas lawmakers passed in 2023.
The bill passed 23-8 in the Senate and now goes to the Texas House for approval.
Fort Worth film commissioner Taylor Hardy said Wednesday's news is exciting and a step in the right direction.
'This is really history in the making,' Hardy told the Star-Telegram. 'We've never seen this level of support for film in Texas.'
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Film incentives are essentially tax credits that motivate film and television productions to work in certain states.
In addition to Texas, more than 30 states have film incentive programs, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Texas has slowly added more to the incentive fund over the last decade, with SB 22 being the largest allocation thus far.
Texas has had its fair share of film productions in-state, including Taylor Sheridan projects like 'Landman' and 'Lioness.' But if this legislation passes and ends up on Gov. Greg Abbott's desk, Hardy says it will bring much more business to the state.
'I think that's gonna lead to additional infrastructure and really help support local business and create jobs for Texans that want to work in film,' Hardy said.
A couple weeks ago, the Texas Media Production Alliance announced that it was going on a road show to spread the word about the proposed film legislation.
On the same day the tour stopped in Fort Worth, the Senate bill passed just a few hours earlier, which was music to TXMPA executive director Fred Poston's ears.
'We are truly just in a place of excitement that we haven't had before,' Poston told the Star-Telegram at the event.
Poston is optimistic about the bill going into the House and said there's an opportunity to inform lawmakers on how big of an impact this package will have on Texas.
There's value in the form of both workforce and economic development, Poston said. Plus this package has a return on investment, which isn't always the case when lawmaker's greenlight legislation.
Texas is also a large state with a population that isn't slowing down.
Other states with large populations, like California and Georgia, have media front and center as major industries, Poston said. By virtue of size, Texas has multiple metropolitan areas and more than 69,000 square miles of landscape to play with.
'We are [in] a better position for success than almost anyone else, quite frankly,' Poston said.
Taylor Sheridan's 'Yellowstone' prequel '1883' filmed in Fort Worth for 74 days In 2021.
Over that span, the production spent $44.4 million in the Fort Worth area, Hardy said. The production also hired more than 1,100 crew members and more than 800 cast members during the show's time in North Texas.
If the film incentive bill were to pass, Hardy believes it will make Fort Worth more competitive for projects and bring even more productions to the Lone Star state.
'Ultimately, just increasing the amount of work we're seeing and projects that are able to consider Texas,' Hardy said.
Some of these projects are also looking at Texas for the first time, since the incentive program has always been reevaluated every couple years.
Now, the way the bill is set up, that's a 10-year investment in film, to the tune of $2.5 billion in incentives, Hardy said. That consistency is key for projects that are planning multiple seasons, such as 'Landman.'
Next comes the Texas House, and Hardy feels optimistic about the bill's chances.
'I think people are starting to understand the business behind film and the impact that it has,' Hardy said. 'I think it will benefit our state.'
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