Hollywood Safety Bill Prompted By Alec Baldwin ‘Rust’ Shooting Closes In On Deadline

The Hollywood bill that was started after actor Alec Baldwin fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of "Rust" on October 21, 2021, is nearing its June 30 deadline.

In January 2023, both the "30 Rock" actor and "Rust" armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed were charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter. The charges against the actor were dropped in late April pending further investigation, as the gun used in the shooting was damaged during the FBI investigation and it seemed difficult to prove whether the actor intentionally pulled the trigger (something he has long denied) or if the weapon malfunctioned.

The charges were dismissed without prejudice, meaning that "Rust" special prosecutors can refile the charges again at any time. In early June, they indicated that they would make a decision within the next sixty days. However, charges against armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed have not been dropped and the case against her continues to build as they are now accusing her of transferring narcotics on the day that Hutchins was killed on set.

On Tuesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom is expected to sign a bill into law to expand Hollywood's safety rules. On Saturday, more details of the bill were released, which would impact the state's 2023-2024 budget, as per Fox News. Although nearly two dozen budget-related bills are expected to pass Newson's desk on Tuesday, the rules changing Hollywood safety rules has been one of the most debated.

Los Angeles Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo, who helped craft the legislation, told the L.A. Times: "The studios want refundability and have been wanting to have more access to these dollars. The unions have been advocating for set safety supervision, given what happened on the ‘Rust’ set. ... On both ends, this was an agreeable compromise to see if it works."

The upcoming bill will extend the film and television tax credit for five more years and add a new "refundable" feature to allow studios to receive cash payments if their credits are larger than their tax bills. That being said, these tax credits will be based on studios meeting diversity targets in production.

The state film commission also needs to add at least one member with expertise in diversity, equality, and inclusion. This is in addition to the safety measures that require all prop masters and armorers handling weapons to take part in firearm training and maintain a special state permit that reflects their training. Movie sets will also be required to have a safety advisor on set to perform risk assessments and oversee production.

Special prosecutors investigating the fatal shooting are accusing "Rust" armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed of transferring narcotics on the day that Halyna Hutchins died in October 2021. In court documents obtained by The Blast, Gutierrez-Reed has now been charged with tampering with evidence after prosecutors claim that she "did transfer narcotics to another person with the intent to prevent the apprehension, prosecution, or conviction of herself."

It was not stated what narcotics the "Rust" armorer allegedly had in her possession, but special proseuctors previously claimed that witnesses had come forward to say that she was both drinking heavily and smoking marijuana on the set of the Western film as well.

Gutierrez-Reed's attorney, Jason Bowles, released a statement to TMZ after the new charges were announced, slamming them as "retaliatory and vindictive," as well as questioning why this information is only surfacing a year and a half after the initial investigation began.

"Something is rotten in Denmark. It is shocking that after 20 months of investigation, the special prosecutor now throws in a completely new charge against Ms. Gutierrez Reed, with no prior notice or any witness statements, lab reports, or evidence to support it," he said. "This comes on the heels of the state letting its lead investigator go, and the investigator raising serious concerns about the investigation in an email," he continued. "This stinks to high heaven and is retaliatory and vindictive."

In another court filing responding to the allegations in early June, Bowles claimed that the prosecution "did not remotely get the facts right" and found it "very interesting" that the charges against the armorer "now belatedly surface" so late in the investigation.

“In fact, witnesses to date have all said Hannah was reliable, competent, and not hungover on the job,” he states in the court filing. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for August.