PA government aims to protect children on movie sets

To prevent known abusers from working with children on Pennsylvania film sets, state Senators Maria Collett (of Montgomery County) and John I. Kane (of Chester/Delaware counties) are proposing legislation that would require child abuse background checks for staff on productions receiving the PA Film Tax Credit.

“Pennsylvania’s arts and entertainment industry attracts visitors and boosts our local economies, but we need to ensure that as the industry grows, so do the protections for vulnerable populations involved with these projects,” Senator Collett said. “As we see more and more child actors come forward to share heart-wrenching stories of abuse on set, it’s critical that we put preventative measures in place to prioritize and ensure our children’s safety.”

The recent Investigation Discovery network docuseries, “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV,” pulled back the curtain on tragic workplace abuse and manipulation involving various child actors on Nickelodeon shows from the 1990’s and 2000’s. In one example, an employee convicted of child abuse was fired from one children’s television network only to be hired by another prominent children’s network.

"Pennsylvania has the potential to become a premier destination for film and television production, but we must prioritize the safety of our young performers while doing so," said Senator Kane. "This bill is all about safeguarding our child actors. By implementing thorough background checks for all personnel working with minors, we're creating a more secure environment for our talented youngsters to thrive. It's a common-sense approach — we can grow our entertainment industry and protect our kids at the same time."

The Film Tax Credit is used to incentivize the filming of TV shows, films, commercials, and entertainment in Pennsylvania by providing a 25% tax credit to productions that spend at least 60% of their total budget in the Commonwealth.

Collett and Kane’s legislation amends the PA Film Tax Credit to require every adult working on the set of a production that receives this tax credit to pass a child abuse background check when that production employs a minor.