The following press release was received from Free Speech Coalition:
SACRAMENTO—The California Assembly Appropriations Committee today voted to stop Assembly Bill 332 from moving forward, effectively quashing any hopes for statewide mandated barrier protection use in adult film productions in California.
“We are grateful that lawmakers have chosen the best interest of California’s taxpayers and the adult industry over AB 332’s misguided legislation,” Free Speech Coalition (FSC) CEO Diane Duke said. “The adult industry creates a tremendous amount of revenue and jobs for California. We have effective, successful standards in place to protect performers. This ridiculous bill was a solution without a problem.”
The action comes after a years-long campaign waged by AIDS Healthcare Foundation to mandate condom use on adult productions in California. Adult industry companies, performers and professionals stood in strong opposition to AHF’s attempts to move the condom agenda forward. Currently, a local ordinance—the Los Angeles Safer Sex for Adult Productions, known as Measure B—is being challenged in federal court.
“We support choice for performers, as well as the successful testing system that has been in place since 1998, which have resulted in no on-set transmissions of HIV in nine years, nationwide,” Duke added. “It is encouraging to see that legislators recognize the hard work that the adult industry has done to safeguard performers and that our hard work will not be lost to an unnecessary bureaucracy created from unnecessary legislation.”
FSC has spearheaded opposition to AB 332, Measure B and continues to oppose legislation that threatens the well-being of adult industry businesses and professionals. FSC also upholds industry-appropriate self-regulation that includes regular, frequent STD testing for performers.
As the adult industry trade association, FSC has published an industry “Code of Ethics,” as well as “The Adult Industry Health & Safety Manual.” For more information about FSC, opposition to mandated condom laws or business resources, email here.
