Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1506201
sagaftra.org | Summer 2023 | SAG-AFTRA 9 News, Information and Benefits Deadline for May Dues I f you experienced a COVID-19-related financial hardship and your request for a due date extension and the first payment of the installment plan for the May 2023 dues period was received on or before June 9, 2023, this is a reminder that the second installment payment is due by Sept. 12. Please note that your final installment payment must be received no later than Sept. 22, 2023, to maintain good standing for the May 2023 dues period unless prior period payments are owed. No late fees will be assessed for the May dues period. Visit sagaftra.org/billing-portal to make a dues payment. GETTY IMAGES Y ear round, SAG-AFTRA is working at statehouses and on Capitol Hill to promote legislation that protects members. The Performing Artist Tax Parity Act is federal legislation that would update business expense tax deductions available to a broader group of performing artists, moving the threshold from $16,000 to $100,000, or $200,000 for joint filers. Take action at sagaftra.org/patpa. Progress continues on the American Music Fairness Act to ensure artists are fairly compensated when their songs are played on AM/FM radio (see story on page 11). Find out more at musicfirstcoalition.org. The union is also working on a new federal intellectual property right for voice and likeness protection, although it is still in its early stages and the language is in the process of being drafted, so stay tuned for more on this. State Legislation Among state production incentive legislation we've championed, the California Legislature recently passed a bill that extends the state's $330 million film and TV production incentives program through 2030. It also requires that productions taking advantage of the incentives have a safety advisor on set — the first such law in the nation. The bill was signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on July 10. In New York, the state Legislature passed several new laws in the 2023 session that are headed to the governor's desk. Among the laws that would benefit SAG-AFTRA members — and all New Yorkers — are ones that would: • Prohibit noncompete clauses, which limit worker mobility and have the effect of suppressing wage growth. • Add criminal penalties to unlawful dissemination or publication of intimate images created by digitization and of sexually explicit depictions of an individual. • Prohibit workplace sexual harassment settlements from subjecting victims to compelled nondisclosure agreements with liquidated damages provisions. It's important to remember that all of these victories were only possible because members were engaged and took the time to contact their elected representatives. And there's still a lot more to be done. Watch your emails and visit sagaftra.org to find out how you can help. Union Ensures Lawmakers Hear Members' Concerns SUPPORT SAG-AFTRA MEMBERS WITH OFFICIAL STRIKE MERCH! sagaftrastrike.shop For ever y item purchased, $5 will be donated to the SAG-A F TR A Foundation's Emergency Financial A ssistance Program.