Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) loves iconic films shot in the Palmetto State like “The Notebook” and “Forrest Gump,” and it’s part of why he’s helping lead the charge on getting a federal film tax credit across the finish line, he told reporters on Capitol Hill Wednesday.
President Donald Trump joined in on a bipartisan effort to give the entertainment industry an incentive to produce domestically, rather than Canada or other countries with tax credits.
The move made Scott aware of the effort, as his press conference announced the introduction of the Senate version of the “Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act” for a 20 percent credit, along with Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA). The House version of the legislation has already been introduced with backers from both parties. However, having Scott, who chairs the Senate Banking Committee, could be influential in getting the bill passed in a Republican-majority Senate.
Today the Teamsters Union, including more than 15,000 members working in film and TV production, is proud to endorse the bipartisan Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act. This first-of-its-kind legislation creates a federal tax credit to protect and…
— Teamsters (@Teamsters) September 24, 2026
“So to qualify for it […] 75% of the payroll, of production has to be done in America to qualify for that. So there are some stringent guidelines that are embedded in the bill to make sure that you break through the threshold – that you don’t just have one or two or three percent here, and everything else is over there,” Scott said when Townhall asked about the barriers in place for the credit.
With the upcoming midterms, he acknowledged that despite the hefty bipartisan support, it still needs to overcome some obstacles in order to make it to Trump’s desk.
Scott said it’s a “lame duck exercise,” but said that “we’re going to work really hard to get this the airtime it needs, the floor time it needs.”
“The sausage making is challenging, but the floor time is incredibly important for us to do so,” he added. “Once this enacted, it actually produces results very quickly, in less than 12 months.”
Before Congress, I produced film and TV. I know how productions pick where to shoot: they follow the incentives.
— Rep. Laura Friedman (@RepFriedmanCA) October 1, 2026
Right now, 65 countries offer them. The U.S. has no national film tax credit.
The bipartisan bill I'm co-leading creates a 20%-30% credit on American labor so the…
Actor Jon Voight was considered one of the leaders to encourage the president to get on board with the proposal, along with former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt.
“All Americans want to bring our iconic film industry home, and we can do it by working together to get this important legislation passed quickly,” Voight said in a statement.
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