Nevada Lawmakers Propose Film Production Bill With $3 Billion Annual Economic Impact

The Nevada Studio Infrastructure and Workforce Training Act creates a new basis for sustainable economic diversification through film production and job creation in Southern Nevada. The legislation was introduced and advocated by Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui of District 41 and creates a robust framework that includes accountability, community investment, and workforce development.

The act mandates that all qualified production spending must occur within Nevada and be conducted by a Nevada-based workforce. It creates a tax increment district projected to generate approximately $12 million annually for early childhood education, $8 million for a vocational training studio, and $6 million for arts and small business programs in East Las Vegas.

Strict oversight and enforcement are built into the legislation, requiring third-party audits for every production. Investors are required to invest at least $300 million annually in production, and penalties — including liens — apply for failure to provide the required financial or operational guarantees. This structure is designed to ensure reliability and transparency, in contrast to unfunded incentive models in other states, such as Georgia.

The $1.8 billion studio construction plan and the activities of studio operations prioritize union labor and local hiring. Labor agreements support the act's commitment to sustainable, high-wage careers. Economic projections estimate tens of thousands of permanent positions with an annual $3 billion boost to Nevada's economy once the studios are fully active.

“There's 19,000 permanent jobs in these studios in and around them when we get loaded up and fully operational,” O'Reilly said. “The average wage of the worker in the studio is $115,000. So this is real long-term jobs.”

The Nevada Studio Infrastructure and Workforce Training Act aims to establish a permanent creative economy rather than relying on short-term tax incentives. It calls for $1.8 billion in private studio construction investment to be completed by mid-2039, backed by performance guarantees and claw-back provisions.

“Building a movie studio is going to be a part of diversifying our economy in Southern Nevada,” White said.