A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced legislation Thursday that would create a federal tax incentive for film and television productions made in the U.S. in an effort to keep entertainment jobs from moving overseas.
The incentive covers 20 percent of eligible domestic labor costs, with additional credits that could raise to as much as 30 percent. It also stacks on top of existing state film incentives.
“If we want to keep American storytelling in America, we have to level the playing field, and that’s exactly what this bill does,” Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-Texas), one of the bill’s sponsors, said in a statement.
“This isn’t about subsidizing Hollywood — it’s about supporting the American worker, one story and one production at a time,” he added.
President Trump backed the idea earlier this month, calling on Congress to move quickly on a federal incentive. Actor Jon Voight, whom Trump named as one of his “special ambassadors” to Hollywood, has also backed the effort.
The “Deliverance” star pointed to a report from Olsberg SPI released by the Motion Picture Association that found that such a credit could add nearly 150,000 jobs annually across the U.S. while boosting domestic production expenditures by more than $125 billion in the next decade.
Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), another sponsor, said the measure is aimed at keeping jobs and investment in the country.
“We cannot stand by as more and more American film production moves overseas, taking jobs, investment and an important
Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), who has pushed for a federal incentive for years, said lawmakers now have “the best opportunity in decades to get it done.”
The Olsberg SPI report found the U.S. accounted for an estimated 34 percent of global film production spending and 42 percent of television production spending last year. Researchers projected those shares would continue to decline without a federal incentive.
Global competition for productions has grown in recent years. According to the report, the number of film and television incentive programs worldwide increased from 86 to 121 in 2026, and 65 countries now offer incentives at the national level.
The U.S. currently has no national programs, though 39 states offer their own film and television incentives, which the proposed federal credit would supplement.
