DGA, IATSE “Disappointed’ On California Legislature Inaction On Gun Safety For Film, TV Sets

deadline.com:

A bill that would have regulated the use of guns on film and TV sets in California has failed to make it through the state legislature.The DGA and IATSE issued a joint statement expressing its displeasure.“The DGA and IATSE are disappointed and disheartened that this critical legislation, which would have required important safety protections for our members and all workers in our industry, was not passed into law during this legislative session,” the unions said. “Unfortunately, we were unable to get the studios to support significant, meaningful and practical safety reforms that they currently implement in other parts of the world.

We remain committed to reforms that protect our members through negotiations with the studios or legislation in California and other states.

Those changes require prioritizing safety and allocating resources to make it happen on the ground.”The two unions supported Senate Bill 831, which was introduced in the wake of the accidental shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and the wounding of director Joel Souza on the New Mexico set of the film Rust last October.The bill would have prohibited ammunition on film, television, and commercial sets except in prescribed circumstances, subject to certain safety rules and laws.

It would also require employers to ensure that any employee responsible for handling, or in proximity to, firearms on set completes a specific firearm training or equivalent training.Employers would have had to hire a qualified set safety supervisor for all film and TV productions to perform a risk assessment to be completed prior to the first day of production on a feature, an episode of a series, or a program.