Canoga Park, CA – The California Senate Labor & Industrial Relations Committee cleared AB 1576 on Wednesday morning, the legislation to require mandatory “barrier protection” use (such as condoms) on adult entertainment production sets. The next step for the bill will now be the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The Free Speech Coalition, the trade organization for the adult entertainment industry, issued the following statement regarding the news:
[INDENT]Today’s vote is a slap in the face to adult performers, who have been outspoken in their opposition this bill and have worked so hard to defeat it. In his words and actions, Hall has made it abundantly clear that he knows little about the performers he seeks to control, and respects their opinions even less. He has not worked with them on this bill, and has actively spurned their offers to create an alternate solution that would strengthen comprehensive workplace safety measures while respecting their real concerns about privacy and personal choice.

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[INDENT]Supporters of AB 1576 stated again in the hearing that the bill relies on the PASS database for testing and enforcement. That Hall would rely on our private procedures says something both about the strength of our existing procedures, and the short-sightedness of Hall as to what this bill will cost the state. As the bill approaches appropriations, we suspect that Senators will have very serious concerns about how a private testing system run privately serve as the backbone for government regulation.

We understand that Assemblymember Hall wants a bill for his legacy, but such legacy should not be built on the backs of adult performers.

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