SACRAMENTO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Today, legislation by Assemblymember Isasdore Hall, III (D – Compton) to require frequent testing for Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) and condom use in all adult films made in California, has cleared the state Assembly’s Labor and Employment Committee with a bipartisan five (5) to zero (0) vote; with Republican Assemblymember Jeff Gorell (Ventura County) joining four Democrats voting in favor of the bill.
“Today’s bipartisan support for AB 332 shows that the Legislature is committed to protecting the health and safety of all workers in California,” said Assemblymember Hall. “I am especially thankful for today’s compelling testimony by actors in the industry. They showed courage in raising their voices to protect fellow actors. Most importantly, they showed the Legislature that AB 332 is important public policy that will protect the health and safety of all Californians.”
Last year, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the sponsor of Hall’s legislation, successfully spearheaded Ballot Measure B, the ‘County of Los Angeles Safer Sex in the Adult Film Industry Act,’—more informally known as the ‘condoms in porn’ measure, which Los Angeles County voters approved by a 57% to 43% margin. Measure B requires producers of adult films to obtain a public health permit from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and pay a permit fee sufficient for necessary enforcement and follow all health and safety laws, including condom use by performers. AB 332 will expand upon the workplace protections now required in Los Angeles County to protect all adult film actors throughout California.
“To date, the industry has not been able to persuade anyone but themselves that the industry should be able to profit on their performers’ work without providing basic protection,” said Whitney Engeran-Cordova, Senior Director of Public Health for AHF. “We thank the Labor Committee for its swift and favorable action on this bill today. AB 332 does what only this legislature can do: give clear direction to CalOSHA to settle definitions surrounding worker safety measures on adult film set workplaces throughout California. This is common sense. This is good public policy. And it protects California workers simply trying to do their jobs.”
“In November, Los Angles voters overwhelmingly passed a similar County measure requiring condoms and other safety measures on adult film sets throughout Los Angeles County, said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “AB 332 will now expand and broaden worker protections for all California’s adult film workers on a statewide basis. We are grateful that Representative Hall has shown the courage—and the vision—to recognize that workers in the adult film industry are entitled to the same safeguards and worker protections that any employee in California is, and we will do whatever we can to help pass this legislation.”
Hall’s legislation will provide statewide uniformity needed to ensure that the thousands of actors employed in this multi-billion dollar industry are given reasonable workplace safety protections needed to reduce exposure to HIV and other STDs.
On April 9th, the bill cleared its first legislative committee, the Assembly’s Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism and Internet Media Committee, in a five to one vote. AB 332 now moves to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for further consideration.
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“To date, the industry has not been able to persuade anyone but themselves that the industry should be able to profit on their performers’ work without providing basic protection,” said Whitney Engeran-Cordova, Senior Director of Public Health for AHF.
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