SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--California Assembly Bill 1576, a landmark bill that clarifies and strengthens state worker safety laws requiring condoms in all adult films made statewide in California, cleared the state Assembly earlier today in a bipartisan vote 45 in favor, 14 opposed and with 21 members not casting a vote. Assemblymember Isadore Hall, III (D-Los Angeles) from California’s 64th Assembly District, authored the bill, which he introduced in mid-February. AB 1576 now moves on to the California Senate.
Assembly members who spoke in support of the bill on the floor today included Assemblymembers Hall, Tom Ammiano (D, San Francisco 17th Assembly District); Richard Pan (D, Sacramento, 9th District); Nancy Skinner (D, Oakland, 15th District) and Marie Waldron (R, San Diego, 75th Assembly District)
“Today’s passage of AB 1576 was a strong reaffirmation of the California Legislature’s commitment to protect workers in the state, regardless of the type of work performed,” said Assemblymember Isadore Hall, III. “For too long, the adult film industry has thrived on a business model that exploits its workers and puts profit over workplace safety. The fact is, adult film actors are employees, like any other employee for any other business in the state. A minimum level of safety in the workplace should not have to be negotiated.
“We need to begin to treat the adult film industry just like any other legitimate, legal business in California,” continued Hall. “Legitimate businesses protect their employees from injury in the workplace. This legitimate, legal business should be treated no differently. Whether you work in agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare, food service, public safety or any other industry, all workers deserve a safe place to make a living.”
“AB 1576 expands and broadens worker protections for all California’s adult film workers on a statewide basis. Assemblymember Hall has shown the courage and vision to recognize that all workers in this industry are entitled to the same safeguards and worker protections that any employee in California would be,” said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “We thank the Assembly for passing this bill and will now press the California Senate to act swiftly and favorably on the bill.”
“AB 1576 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,” said Whitney Engeran-Cordova, Senior Director of Public Health for AHF. “This is common sense. This is good public policy. And it protects California workers simply trying to do their jobs.”
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 in the November 2012 election. 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 1576 will expand upon the workplace protections now required in Los Angeles County to protect all adult film actors throughout the state of California.
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 Sexually Transmitted Diseases.
About AIDS Healthcare Foundation
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to more than 300,000 individuals in 32 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare.
