The bill amends the Entertainment Industry Incentive Act of 2009 by renaming the Alabama Film Office to the Alabama Entertainment Office and expanding the definition of "qualified production" to include music albums. It establishes a minimum expenditure limit of $30,000 for music albums to qualify for incentives, with a cap of $200,000 on eligible expenditures. The annual cap on incentives is increased to $20 million for the fiscal years ending September 30, 2025, and $22 million for subsequent years, with $2 million specifically allocated for music albums. Additionally, the bill allows for the carryover of unspent incentives, limited to $3 million per fiscal year. The amendments to Sections 41-7A-1, 41-7A-42, 41-7A-43, and 41-7A-48 of the Code of Alabama 1975 introduce new definitions and eligibility criteria for rebates on production expenditures, thereby broadening the support for the entertainment sector in Alabama. The bill also removes previous caps on incentives for fiscal years ending September 30, 2009, through 2014, and mandates that the Department of Commerce contract with an out-of-state entity to evaluate the program, with findings to be reported to the Legislature by the first legislative day of the 2027 Regular Legislative Session. The act is set to take effect on October 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 41-7A-1, 41-7A-42, 41-7A-43, 41-7A-48
Engrossed: 41-7A-1, 41-7A-42, 41-7A-43, 41-7A-48
Enrolled: 41-7A-1, 41-7A-42, 41-7A-43, 41-7A-48