A bill seeking to regulate the adult industry was granted an interim study, offering supporters hope that the bill may be revived for the next legislative session.
Assembly Bill 2798, the bill that seeks to regulate safety standards for adult performers, was sent to interim study last week after being present to the Assembly Health Committee. However, the bill was in procedural limbo until the Assembly Rules Committee granted a hearing, something that doesn’t always happen.
The public hearing will take place on Friday, June 4 at the Van Nuys State Office Building. Chairing the hearing will be Assemblyman Paul Koretz (D-West Hollywood).
Needless to say, the bill’s sponsor, Assemblyman Tim Leslie (R-Lake Tahoe), was pleased to learn of the hearing.
“I applaud Assemblyman Koretz for calling this hearing,” Leslie told AVN.com. “Even though my bill is dead for the time being, this issue deserves to be kept on the front burner. Hopefully, the hearing will help us produce a solution that protects the health of performers and the general public."
According to Brian O’Neel, Leslie’s press secretary, Koretz’s position as the chair of the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee was the basis for establishing his jurisdiction over the hearing.
“And since the bill affects some people that live in his jurisdiction, he has as much claim to chair this hearing as anyone,” O’Neel said.
Among the witnesses O’Neel expects to present testimony during the interim hearing are Free Speech Coalition executive director Kat Sunlove and AIM Healthcare Foundation’s Dr. Sharon Mitchell. O’Neel has also suggested a few people within the adult industry that may want to serve as witnesses as well.
There are three possible outcomes from the hearing: the bill could stall forever, the bill could move forward, or more hearings could be scheduled.
The bill would be the first attempt by the state of California to regulate the adult industry, requiring the Department of Health and Cal/OSHA to set standards for safety conditions.
Health officials are adamant that condoms become mandatory for adult videos, and while many in the adult industry support the concept, most fear that a condom-only policy will drive sections of the adult industry underground, where they might no longer adhere to what safety precautions are already in place.
Some companies have threatened to move out of state if California calls for condoms to be used in every scene, but O’Neel isn’t concerned with that.
O'Neel points out that the Freeman decision technically applies only to California, and other states don't offer as much legal backing for adult productions. “Of course, you can always go underground, but if the bill passes, you could be found liable for a ton of money since we will have established a performer’s right to safety.”
The interim hearing for AB 2789 will take place at the Van Nuys State Office Building at 6150 Van Nuys Boulevard, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
