5 days ago
Earnings of child actors protected by Hawaii law
Child entertainers' financial futures are now protected by Hawaii law, joining other U.S. states in efforts to support young stars at the start of their careers.
Gov. Josh Green signed House Bill 874 into law Wednesday alongside Maia Kealoha, the 8-year-old actor playing 'Lilo ' in Disney's live-action remake of 'Lilo and Stitch ', who joined him at the ceremony.
HB 874 requires that parents and guardians of minors who work in Hawaii's entertainment industry create trust funds in the minors' name, to be managed by a third party, until the child turns 18.
The law applies only to minors making $5, 000 for an individual project or $20, 000 in a calendar year and requires at least 15 % of the earnings to be deposited directly by their employer.
Kealoha was excited to attend the ceremony, representing young stars from Hawaii breaking into the entertainment industry.
'I am so honored to be here and watch Gov. Green to sign this amazing bill for all the keiki, ' she said. 'When they earn money and stuff like that, they can save it for their future.'
Green called HB 874 an important step to guard the finances of young entertainers across the islands.
'This protects our young stars, ' Green said. 'We want to ensure their future.'
'We've heard over the years that sometimes the resources that these young superstars make might not get to them, ' Green said.
HB 874 was modeled after the so-called Coogan Law, which California passed in 1939 after 1920s-era childhood star Jackie Coogan learned as an adult that his parents had mismanaged his finances.
Coogan's experience and the California law that followed led other states to require similar protections for child entertainers in New York, Illinois, Louisiana and New Mexico.
HB 874 could become a catalyst for other Hawaii laws protecting minors and their earnings, said Green, calling it 'a model for protecting minors in other areas like sports.'
Although there are only a dozen or so child stars in film and TV in Hawaii who the law will affect, Green said that 'a lot of the value of bills like this is to set the standard, ' to create an expectation for how young stars should be taken care of.
HB 874 also applies to social media stars and influencers who, Green said, 'could be in the hundreds ' that are now also covered by the law.
'Right now we're seeing a big surge in revenue in that kind of industry (social media ), ' he said.
Green hopes to continue hosting production companies, like Disney, in the islands giving young actors the opportunity to work.
'We're hoping to boost our film industry In Hawaii, ' he said. 'We want to augment these opportunities for people like Maia.'
Rep. Mike Lee (D, Kailua-Kaneohe Bay ), lead introducer of HB 874 and a freshman legislator, was grateful for the support from the local chapter of the screen and theater actors' union—SAG-AFTRA—and the governor.
Lee called the new law 'a win for our keiki. And a win for our keiki is a win for our future.'
As a celebratory nod to Kealoha's work in Lilo and Stitch, Green officially designated June 4 as 'Maia Kau 'ionalani Kealoha Day, ' proclaiming her as Junior Governor of the State of Hawaii.
'Today we honor Maia Kealoha, a talented young actress who's brought the spirit of aloha to audiences worldwide, ' he said.
'This is your day, for the whole state of Hawaii.'
