2023 Tennessee Code › Title 4 - STATE GOVERNMENT (§§ 4-1-101 — 4-58-110) › Chapter 3 - CREATION, ORGANIZATION AND POWERS OF ADMINISTRATIVE DEPARTMENTS AND DIVISIONS (§§ 4-3-101 — 4-3-5525) › Part 49 - VISUAL CONTENT ACT OF 2006 (§§ 4-3-4901 — 4-3-4903) › Section 4-3-4903 - Tennessee film/TV incentive fund

(a)
The film/TV fund is established as a separate account in the general fund and shall be administered by the department.
(b)
The film/TV fund is composed of:
(1)
Funds appropriated by the general assembly for the film/TV fund; and
(2)
Gifts, grants and other donations received by the department or the commission for the film/TV fund.
(c)
(1)
Moneys in the film/TV fund shall be appropriated and expended to provide incentive grants to production companies for use in producing state-certified productions and may be used by the department to defray the expenses of administering this section, including marketing expenses; provided, however, that the expenses shall not exceed five percent (5%) of the total amount appropriated for the program in any fiscal year.
(2)
The amount of each grant awarded pursuant to this section shall not exceed twenty-five percent (25%) of the total expenses incurred by a production company for a project; except, however, the department may award grants in excess of this amount if deemed appropriate by the department. It is the legislative intent that funding be appropriated each year in the general appropriations act for awarding grants. It is further the legislative intent that the department strive to award the maximum amount of incentive grants authorized by this section due to the amendments to §
67-4-2109(j)
provided in chapter 1026, § 10 of the Public Acts of 2012, which added §
67-4-2109(j)(6)
.
(d)
Moneys in the film/TV fund shall be invested by the state treasurer pursuant to title 9, chapter 4, part 6, for the sole benefit of the film/TV fund, and interest accruing on investments and deposits of the fund shall be returned to the fund and remain part of the film/TV fund.
(e)
Subject to the availability of revenue at the end of each fiscal year, the commissioner of finance and administration is authorized to carry forward any amounts remaining in the film/TV fund or transfer any part of the fund to the revenue fluctuation reserve.
(f)
It is the intent of the general assembly that, to the extent practicable, moneys from the film/TV fund shall be used to provide incentive grants to production projects in all areas of the state.
(g)
It is the intent of the general assembly that the commission shall actively encourage independent producers and minority participants to apply for incentive grants.
(h)
Incentive grants from the film/TV fund shall not exceed the amount available in the fund at any time. No less frequently than biannually, the executive director shall report to the commissioner of finance and administration on the status of the incentive grant program, such report to include at least the following information: the amount of each grant awarded since the previous report and the name of the production company receiving the benefit of each grant, the total amount of outstanding grants and the total unobligated amount in the film/TV fund. A copy of each report shall be transmitted to the speaker of the house of representatives and the speaker of the senate, the chairs of the finance, ways and means committees of the senate and the house of representatives, the state treasurer, the comptroller of the treasury and the office of legislative budget analysis.
(i)
The department shall promulgate rules and regulations as the department may deem necessary to effectuate the purposes of this part. All rules and regulations shall be promulgated in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in chapter 5 of this title.
Amended by 2018 Tenn. Acts, ch. 919,s 3, eff. 7/1/2018.
Acts 2006, ch. 916, § 4; 2010, ch. 1030, § 3; 2012, ch. 1026, §§ 8, 9.