Senate Concurrent Resolution 143 passed the California State Senate Health Committee on June 6, 2018 on a vote of 6-0 (5 Dems, 1 Rep).
SCR 143, authored by Senator Richard Pan, urges the major motion picture companies and their trade association, the Motion Picture Association of America, to give an “R” (Restricted) rating to any new film that contains scenes of tobacco use, with limited exceptions. This Resolution is sponsored by Breathe California Sacramento Region.
Dr. Gordon Garcia, a Kaiser physician, represented Breathe California Sacramento Region. Dr. Stanton Glantz, director of the UCSF Smokefree Movies project, also testified.
While the MPAA did not formally oppose the resolution, a lobbyist for the trade group “expressed concern" while also claiming that the ratings are outside the MPAA's control. In fact, the ratings are run by an MPAA official on the MPAA's premises and generate revenue reported by the MPAA. Rating rules and governance are also determined by MPAA and the theater owners' trade group.
This arm’s length pretext may be intended to persuade smaller, independent studios that their films will get a fair shake in ratings trademarked by the major studios that run the MPAA. But it does not reassure the rest of the country that marketing-driven ratings are worthy of trust.
Now the Resolution goes to the floor for a vote by the entire State Senate. Dave Modisette, manager of Legislative Affairs for Breathe California Sacramento Region, and the other health organizations, particularly ACS CAN, will be organizing right away for this next step in the Legislative process.
Organizations that have endorsed SCR 143 so far:
• American Academy of Pediatrics, California
• American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
• American Heart Association
• American Lung Association
• American Stroke Association
• Americans for Nonsmokers Rights
• Breathe California Sacramento Region
• California Academy of Family Physicians
• California Medical Association
• Dignity Health
• Mercy Investment Services
• Northwest Coalition for Responsible Investment
• San Francisco Marin Medical Society
• Trinity Health
There is still time for more organizations to endorse the resolution.